Screwworm Crisis Ignites Fly Mass-Production 50 Years Ago
Jun 09, 2023
Southern Mexico will be home to an unconventional 'insect breeding center', designed to generate an incredible 300 million flies per week. Its primary objective is to counter the spread of screwworms, a formidable livestock menace. These pests exploit open wounds or sores on living hosts for nourishment. The center will cultivate numerous screwworm flies, subject them to sterilizing radiation, then disseminate them from aircraft flying at low altitude. These sterile flies, upon mating with the local fly populace, yield non-viable eggs.
Update A joint endeavor between Mexico and the United States was undertaken to expunge the screwworm plague from North America. Operational since 1976, the insect breeding center has been dispatching sterilized screwworm flies in swarms across both nations, including a strategic distribution along Mexico's Isthmus of T ehuantepec to deter any northward propagation. The extermination initiative was so successful, it extended its reach to Panama.
By 2006, the triumvirate of the United States, Mexico, and Central America proclaimed their territories free from screwworm affliction. Although sporadic minor outbreaks, such as the one in Florida in 2016, have occurred, the sterile fly strategy continues to be a potent deterrent. This innovative approach has been the inspiration for contemporary attempts to regulate mosquitoes and other destructive pests.
