The New World Screwworm Fly, which lays flesh-eating maggots, has appeared in southern Mexico. Scientists are concerned that the flies will migrate northward. To combat the threat, scientists are breeding sterile flies and casting them from airplanes over Mexico. The maggots pose a risk to cattle, horses, and bison as they breed in live flesh. Humans also run the risk of infestation. To further prevent the spread of the pest, the U.S. has paused importations of large domesticated animals at the southern border until mid-September. To bolster the neutered fly supply from an operating fly “factory” in Panama, the USDA plans on opening another factory in southern Mexico in July 2026 and a distribution center in southern Texas by the end of the year. The fly was thought to be eradicated from the U.S. and Mexico in 1975, when the USDA last employed the strategy, releasing 94 billion sterile flies. This approach proved more effective and less damaging than using pesticides. Currently, the USDA aims to breed 400 million sterile flies per week. However, the strategy also poses some danger: three people died when a plane releasing sterile flies crashed near the Mexico-Guatemala border last month.
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