USDA Lets Loose 400 Million Lab-Bred Flies to Counteract Flesh-Eating Screwworms.
The USDA is deploying hundreds of millions of flies bred in a factory to prevent the reestablishment of the New World screwworm in the U.S., a parasite capable of devastating livestock and wildlife, and occasionally infecting humans.
PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released nearly 400 million sterile flies over Texas and northern Mexico to combat the spread of the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that threatens livestock, wildlife, pets, and occasionally humans. This effort aims to prevent the parasite from becoming reestablished in the United States after confirmed cases were reported in Texas and New Mexico last month.
📺 DETAIL: The campaign relies on breeding sterile insects en masse, which helped eliminate the pest from the U.S. in 1966 by preventing reproduction among wild fly populations. USDA Rear Admiral Michael Schmoyer said most of the sterile flies have been released along the Texas-Mexico border and in areas where infestations have been confirmed. Officials said the flies are unlikely to be seen in homes because they prefer moist environments and seek out animals with open wounds. Female New World screwworm flies lay eggs in wounds, where the larvae burrow into living tissue, causing severe infections that can be fatal to livestock, wildlife, pets, and, in rare cases, humans if left untreated. Researchers estimate that roughly 500 million sterile flies will ultimately be needed to push the parasite back toward Central America, where it has spread among wildlife, including jaguars, pumas, tapirs, and deer. Federal officials are expanding production capacity with a new sterile-fly facility in Mexico, with another planned for Texas in 2027. The USDA is urging ranchers and pet owners to regularly inspect animals for unusual wounds and immediately report suspected screwworm infestations to veterinarians or agricultural authorities.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “What we lack are sufficient flies in order to start pushing the population back south.” – Phillip Kaufman, entomologist
📺 FLASHBACK: The screwworm was eradicated from the U.S. in 1966 using the sterile insect technique, but recent infestations in Texas and Mexico have raised concerns that it could become endemic again, prompting this large-scale response.
https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/07/14/usda-lets-loose-400-million-lab-bred-flies-to-counteract-flesh-eating-screwworms/
