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Texas Bolsters Defenses as New World Screwworm Approaches U.S. Border

Texas is piloting synthetic lures, ivermectin feed additives, a cattle vaccine alongside sterile insect releases to fend off the flesh-eating parasite before it reaches the border.

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Overview

  • Screwworm populations have advanced to within 370 miles of Texas, prompting weekly aerial releases of sterile flies and planning of a new production facility in the state.
  • The Texas Department of Agriculture has begun testing TDA Swormlure traps, livestock ivermectin-laced feed and a cattle vaccine designed to kill screwworm larvae.
  • In June the USDA announced it will build a sterile fly factory in Texas to support aerial releases targeting northern Mexico.
  • Mexican researchers are investigating gene editing techniques and evolutionary changes in screwworm populations to develop novel countermeasures.
  • Resource and expertise shortages at APHIS, following workforce reductions, are straining binational coordination and production capacity for the eradication campaign.