Overview
- Confirmed New World screwworm cases have appeared in Texas and New Mexico, a parasitic fly whose larvae burrow into living flesh and can severely injure livestock, wildlife and, rarely, people.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is leading eradication operations that have resumed the sterile insect technique and added targeted pesticides and animal movement quarantines to slow spread.
- Researchers and regulators are testing next‑generation genetic tools, including a genetically engineered all‑male strain now in field testing and other approaches such as NovoFly, SEPARATOR, CRISPR‑based sterile males and precision‑guided SIT.
- A county‑level risk dashboard built by UC San Diego and San Diego County combines confirmed detections, environmental suitability and media reports to speed situational awareness because lab confirmation can take days to weeks.
- The 1950s eradication of screwworm with sterile insect releases shows control is feasible but the fly’s mobility and movement of animals raise the risk of large livestock losses and prolonged animal suffering unless surveillance and layered interventions continue.