The latest case of the New World screwworm in Mexico has the full attention of Texas agriculture leaders. The flesh-eating parasite is now less than an hour’s drive from the U.S.-Mexico border. That means it’s traveled 60 miles closer to the U.S. in the past four months.
“The threat of the New World screwworm is creeping dangerously close to our border,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said Monday. “A confirmed case in Nuevo León, just about 60 miles from the United States, in a young calf is a flashing red warning sign we will not ignore.”
Miller said this is no time to let up and that Texas must continue to go on the offensive to prevent the screwworm from reaching U.S. soil.
“That means ramping up surveillance, tightening coordination at the border, and making absolutely certain every available resource is deployed to stop this dangerous pest,” Miller added.
Sid Miller, Texas Agricutural Commissioner, said Texas must go on the offensive against the New World screwworm. (DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images) (DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S breaks ground on facility to produce 100M sterile flies weekly
That includes a new $750 million facility. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers broke ground on the building Friday in Edinburg, Texas. The government says the facility will produce 100 million sterile flies per week by November 2027.
Sterile insect technique (SIT) was first developed in the 1950s. Sterile male flies are released into the wild and mate with female flies, which then lay eggs that are not fertilized. Since female flies typically only mate once, this can ultimately reduce or eradicate the population. Best of all, it poses no threat to livestock.
“Our ranchers feed this country and fuel the Texas economy,” Miller added. “They deserve vigilance, urgency, and action. We’ve beaten the New World screwworm before, and we will beat it again, but only if we treat this threat with the seriousness it demands right now.”
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This article originally published at Cow-killing screwworm ‘dangerously close’ to Texas.