The United States is embarking on an ambitious, multi-million dollar project in southern Texas to combat the threat of flesh-eating maggots, with plans to construct a $750m factory dedicated to breeding billions of sterile flies. This significant investment aims to prevent the New World screwworm from crossing the border from Mexico and devastating the American cattle industry.
Brooke Rollins, Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, announced on Friday that the new facility, located on Moore Air Base outside Edinburg, Texas – approximately 20 miles from the border – is expected to begin producing and releasing sterile male screwworm flies into the wild within a year. Alongside this, the US Department of Agriculture plans to deploy $100m in advanced technology, including fly traps and lures, and enhance border security with "tick riders" on horseback and specially trained dogs to detect the parasite.
