Photo courtesy of APHIS
Mexico has begun construction on a $51 million sterile fly production facility in southern Mexico, aiming to combat the resurgence of the New World screwworm that has impacted its cattle exports to the United States. The facility is being built through a binational effort with the U.S. and is expected to be completed in the first half of next year. Once operational, it will produce 100 million sterile screwworm flies each week.
Releasing sterile flies into the environment is a proven method for reducing wild screwworm populations. The pest’s larvae—maggots—burrow into the flesh of living animals, causing severe and often fatal wounds.
The United States, Mexico’s largest trading partner, is contributing $21 million to the project, and is also investing another $30 million into related efforts. This includes the construction of a new sterile fly dispersal facility in Texas, underscoring the seriousness of the threat and the shared priority to contain it.
