Source: Fortune
Summary
The US is struggling to combat a deadly cattle parasite, the New World screwworm, which has been detected in six cattle in Texas. The key tool for suppressing the pest, a facility that breeds sterile flies, won’t be operational until November 2027. The US Department of Agriculture is currently relying on a facility in Panama and another in Mexico to produce sterile flies, but the output is not enough to effectively combat the outbreak. The USDA is also exploring other measures, including quarantines and medication distribution, but the response is being hindered by the lack of sterile flies.
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The announcement sounds familiar.
The US is facing a screwworm outbreak, and the response is being hindered by the lack of sterile flies. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the US is “not going to be able to eradicate it until we’ve got the couple hundred million more flies coming in, but we will be able to contain it.” The USDA is preparing its strategy, presenting it as a “Main Event” battle pitting the sterile flies against the screwworm. The agency is also exploring other measures, including quarantines and medication distribution. However, the response is being hindered by the lack of sterile flies, and the US is likely to be “handicapped for a while” in combating the pest.
The numbers tell one story, but the timeline tells another.
Author: Evan Null
