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Flesh-eating screwworms head for American livestock
USDA says the plant will produce up to 300 million sterile flies a week to help block a parasite that could disrupt beef markets.
- The USDA broke ground on a $750 million sterile-fly facility in Edinburg, Texas, designed to produce up to 300 million sterile flies per week when it opens next year to combat the New World screwworm.
- Southern states are bracing for a potential New World screwworm invasion that threatens livestock through flesh-burrowing larvae, with Texas facing the highest risk as the nation's leading beef producer with more than 12.5 million cattle.
- Following cases within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, federal officials banned live Mexican cattle imports, compounding domestic beef shortages. Ground beef prices reached $6.90 per pound this month, a 77% increase since January 2020.
- Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller warned, "We're going to get infested," expressing skepticism about sterile fly production. Dr. Samantha Holeck, state veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board, stated, "It's going to be very challenging... to keep it out of the United States."
- Officials emphasize that eradicating the screwworm is a long-term, collaborative process rather than a "quick fix." Holeck urges ranchers to use preventive medications judiciously, warning that overuse could create resistance and render treatments ineffective.
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19 Articles
19 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources19
Leaning Left13Leaning Right0Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution93% Left
Bias Distribution
- 93% of the sources lean Left
93% Left
L 93%
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