The New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is a parasitic fly with larvae that consume living tissue in open wounds of warm-blooded hosts, ranging from livestock and wildlife to pets and occasionally humans. Without treatment, these infestations can lead to severe tissue destruction and fatalities. Currently, the pest has been detected spreading through Mexico and moving northward.

In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is deploying a biological control strategy involving the release of high-tech, sterile flies to suppress the population before it crosses into the United States. To support this effort, a new federal facility is under construction in South Texas dedicated to the mass production of these sterile insects.

These measures come after the recent confirmation of New World Screwworm in at least one calf in South Texas, representing the first verified case in the U.S. since the 1960s. There is significant urgency for the new production facility to become operational immediately to help contain this resurgence.

However, not everyone is pleased with the federal government’s response. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says the USDA’s strategy has not done enough to prevent the spread of the parasite and proposes an alternative that might be more effective.

PHOTO CREDIT: Pixabay