The Department of Agriculture said on Aug. 10 that a Texas facility for breeding sterile flies to combat screwworm will open ahead of schedule in spring 2027.
New World screwworm is a pest that affects livestock, pets, wildlife, and, less commonly, people and birds. The screwworm maggots burrow into the flesh of living animals, causing serious damage to livestock and economic losses.
Screwworms were eradicated from the United States in the 1960s when researchers began releasing large numbers of sterilized male screwworm flies that mated with wild female screwworms, producing infertile eggs.
In June, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed a New World screwworm case in Texas after larvae were found in a calf in Zavala County, prompting action to contain and eradicate the parasitic threat to the $100 billion U.S. cattle industry….