Texas Battles Screwworm Threat

Texas Governor Greg Abbott warns of a looming crisis as the deadly New World screwworm threatens livestock, with a critical fly-breeding facility delayed by over a year. To combat the outbreak, the USDA is launching two massive sterile fly production centers—one in Mexico starting next month and another in Texas, the size of two Costcos, set to ramp up production by next summer. While beef prices are already high, experts reassure that this is a supply issue, not a safety one, and treatments exist for infected animals. The sterile fly method, proven effective in eradicating the pest in the 1970s, works by preventing hatching of eggs from females that mate with sterile males. Officials are deploying traps to track the fly’s spread and stay ahead of the infestation, aiming to protect the nation’s cattle industry.

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