Millions of Flies Released Against Screwworm Outbreak in U.S.

The flesh-eating parasite New World screwworm, once eradicated from the United States, has reappeared in Texas, U.S.A. It has triggered an aggressive federal response and raised concerns for the country’s $US113 billion cattle industry.

The parasite had not been seen in the US since the 1960s, but it was first detected last week in a three-week-old calf in La Pryor, Texas. Since then, three additional cases have been confirmed, including a calf and a dog found hundreds of miles apart, according to ABC News.

“While we address these instances that require immediate attention, we are simultaneously working to eradicate the pest entirely,” said Dudley Hoskins, the USDA’s marketing and regulatory undersecretary.

“In essence, it’s not where the flies are today, but where they could be weeks from now,” added Rear Admiral Michael Schmoyer, a member of the USDA’s screwworm response team.

The government’s primary weapon is sterile male flies, which mate with wild females that only mate once in their lives, effectively collapsing reproduction. The USDA has already released 130 million sterile flies across Texas since January, but officials say past eradication efforts required up to 500 million flies per week.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is pushing to accelerate construction of a $750 million fly-breeding facility outside Edinburg, Texas. The plant is expected to produce up to 300 million flies per week as part of efforts to eradicate the pest across the United States, Mexico and Central America.