Sterile flies released to fight flesh-eating screwworm parasite

1 comment

1. The US agriculture department is preparing to release billions of sterilised flies over Texas and Mexico in an effort to halt the spread of a flesh-eating parasite.

   The New World screwworm has been advancing north from South America since 2023, and has now reached the US.

   A resident of Maryland was infected after travelling to El Salvador earlier this month, the first confirmed American case associated with the present outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Monday.

   Infestation occurs when the fly larvae feed on the tissue or flesh of warm-blooded animals, primarily livestock and, in rare cases, humans.

   Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary, this month unveiled plans for a new production facility at Moore Air Force Base in Texas, capable of turning out 300 million flies per week by the end of this year

Comments are closed.