A sterile fly production continues as the United States New World screwworm infections reach 41. Screwworm is a flesh-eating parasite that can be deadly and impact the meat supply if it is severe enough.
The most recent confirmed case of screwworm came on Saturday in Schleicher County, Texas. This is Schleicher County’s first confirmed case of this parasite ever.
New World screwworm (NWS) is a fly that lays its eggs in open wounds and body openings such as the eyes, ears, nose, or mouth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the eggs hatch into parasitic maggots (larvae) that burrow into and feed on living tissue or flesh.
The first American case of the flesh-eating livestock pest since the 1960s was discovered on June 3 in Zavala County. Since then, two more cases were reported in the county, while 38 other cases were discovered across the state and in New Mexico along its border with Texas.
Federal and local authorities hit the ground running as they worked to expedite methods of warding off the pest and protecting the state’s livestock and wildlife, although clashing at times over the appropriate means of prevention and treatment. –The Texan.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to produce sterile flies, which are released to breed with the natural flies. This stops their reproduction and is a rather effective method that worked to eradicate the parasite in the U.S. in 1966. A $750 million facility in Edinburg is underway, projected to produce 300 million sterile flies each week once it’s fully operational.
The USDA also commented on Monday that they have employed the use of screwworm “traps.” These traps are coated with an insect adhesive and equipped with a chemical attractant. Nearly 600 of these are “currently deployed across Mexico, with expanded coverage along the U.S.–Mexico border and new traps in southern Chihuahua and Sonora,” per a Monday X post.
Is The Screwworm A Problem For The Meat Supply?