Overview

• The screwworm has been detected within 400 miles of Texas, putting U.S. cattle ranches at risk in roughly four months.
• Only the sterile insect technique—releasing radiation-sterilized males—can halt the parasite’s spread, but current weekly output of about 100 million flies falls far short of the 600 million historically needed.
• The USDA and state agencies have allocated over $29 million to retrofit Texas and Mexican breeding facilities in an effort to ramp up sterile-fly capacity.
• Rolling suspensions of Mexican livestock imports remain in effect and binational surveillance along the U.S.–Mexico border has been intensified to detect new infestations.
• Experts warn that an uncontrolled outbreak could inflict billions in livestock losses and occasionally sicken humans with painful, bloody lesions.