Political blame game follows as screwworm parasite threatens cattle in Texas
Summary
The screwworm parasite has returned to the U.S. after 60 years and threatens cattle in Texas and New Mexico. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is using sterile flies to fight the pest, planning to spend over $1 billion to protect the cattle industry.Key Facts
- The New World screwworm lays eggs in wounds of warm-blooded animals and feeds on living flesh.
- Screwworms were eradicated in the U.S. for six decades but resurfaced in 2023.
- Seven cases have been found so far in Texas and New Mexico, with quarantine zones set up around affected areas.
- The USDA plans to build a plant producing up to 300 million sterile flies per week to control the screwworm population.
- Sterile flies mate with wild females, causing them to produce eggs that do not hatch, reducing the pest’s numbers.
- Climate change, with warmer and more humid weather, is helping screwworms spread to new areas.
- The Mexican beef industry has been heavily affected, and the U.S. closed southern ports to Mexican livestock last summer.
- Officials disagree on the cause of the screwworm’s return, with political leaders blaming different past administrations.
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