New World Screwworm is inching closer to the U.S.-Mexico border with new reported detections over the past week. According to screwworm.gov, the latest detections of screwworm have been reported within 100 miles this past week, with the closest being approximately 31 miles from the border. Generally, the detections have been confirmed affecting cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, and dogs, with all detections located within Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, Hidalgo, and Zacatecas in Mexico.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “USDA continues to disperse 100 million sterile insects per week in Mexico and along the U.S.-Mexico border and closely evaluates the location and circumstances of each new case. The sterile insect release area, or polygon, is adjusted as needed to maintain broad suppression and help prevent the pests from moving into the United States.” Currently, the border remains closed to livestock trade due to the threat of New World Screwworm and there have been no detections within the United States.
According to USDA, “our highest priority remains protecting the United States and the USDA adjusts the sterile insect dispersal area based on science and modeling to provide the most protection.” Last month, USDA indicated that construction was ongoing on the domestic fly production facility in Edinburgh, Texas, which will add to the current production of 100 million sterile male flies produced at COPEG in Panama, with additional flies being produced at the facility in Metapa, Mexico once its retrofit is completed later this summer.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.