Flesh-Eating Flies Invade! US to Unleash Millions of Sterile Bugs!
Colaboradores
The US is preparing to deploy a massive weapon against a horrifying threat to livestock: the New World screwworm. These flesh-eating larvae of the *Cochliomyia hominivorax* fly have been spreading through Central America, and now pose a significant risk to the US agricultural industry.
What are New World Screwworms?
New World screwworms are the larval stage of a blow fly that infests open wounds in warm-blooded animals. These larvae literally eat the flesh of their host, causing severe damage and potentially death. An outbreak can devastate cattle, horse, and bison populations, threatening a multi-billion dollar industry.
The Fly-Fighting-Fly Solution
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reviving a strategy that proved incredibly successful in the past: releasing millions of sterile male screwworm flies. These sterile males will mate with wild females, resulting in infertile eggs and a gradual decline in the screwworm population. This method, used extensively in the 1960s and 70s, effectively eradicated the screwworms from much of North America.
Why Now?
Since early 2023, outbreaks have been reported in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and El Salvador. In November, the fly reached southern Mexico, triggering alarms among US agricultural officials and leading to the suspension of live animal imports from Mexico. The USDA is planning to open a “fly factory” near the Texas-Mexico border to produce the millions of sterile flies needed to combat the outbreak.
- The US has suspended all live animal imports from Mexico indefinitely.
- The female flies lay eggs on open wounds of warm-blooded animals, and the eggs hatch in hours.
Dr. Michael Bailey, president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association, emphasized the severity of the situation: "This can kill a thousand-pound cow in two weeks. The federal government is being very aggressive in working to contain this." The USDA remains confident, stating, "The U.S. has defeated NWS before and can successfully do it again."
The plan is to breed millions of sterilized flies and drop them over the Texas-Mexican border to protect the more than $100 billion U.S. cattle and beef industry from the New World screwworm.