• As the New World Screwworm reemerges along the U.S.-Mexico border, the USDA deploys sterilized flies to stop flesh-eating maggots from devastating American livestock. This bio-strategic campaign aims to protect the food supply and national agriculture infrastructure, harkening back to a Cold War-era eradication effort successfully executed in the 1960s.

MCALLEN, TX (TDR) — In response to a disturbing resurgence of the New World Screwworm—a parasite once considered eradicated from the United States—the Department of Agriculture has launched an ambitious containment operation along the Texas border.

Following a recent outbreak confirmed by Mexican authorities, the U.S. has reimposed restrictions on the importation of livestock through southern ports and will deploy a classic biological defense: sterile flies.

A Relic Returns: Screwworm Threat Resurfaces

The New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) poses a grotesque and economically devastating threat. Female flies lay their eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals. Upon hatching, larvae burrow in a corkscrew-like motion through muscle and tissue, often leading to infection, mutilation, and in many cases, death.

“To protect American livestock and our nation’s food supply, Secretary Rollins has ordered the closure of livestock trade through southern ports of entry effective immediately,” the USDA announced.

Although commonly confined to South America and the Caribbean, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that travelers with open wounds, especially those in rural or agricultural settings, remain vulnerable to infestation.

Radiation and Reproduction: A Cold War Strategy Reused

In an effort reminiscent of mid-20th-century eradication techniques, the USDA will deploy millions of sterilized male flies, raised and irradiated at a South Texas facility, into the borderlands of Texas and northern Mexico.

“These sterile males will mate with wild females, producing no viable offspring and thereby reducing the population over time,” USDA officials said.

The sterile insect technique (SIT) was pivotal in eliminating the parasite from the U.S. in the 1960s. Today, officials are hoping history will repeat itself.

Surveillance, Science, and Sovereignty

The USDA has already begun field surveillance across Mexico and southern Texas. Ports of entry for livestock were temporarily closed in early 2025 and will only resume operations when USDA personnel confirm the implementation of strict biosecurity measures across the border.

“USDA will continue to have personnel perform site visits throughout Mexico to ensure the Mexican government has adequate protocols and surveillance in place,” the department stated.

This renewed battle underscores the precarious balance between open trade and national agricultural security, a cornerstone concern for American farmers and ranchers.

The Long-Term Stakes

While the current threat remains geographically isolated, experts warn that rising global temperatures and cross-border livestock movement could allow the screwworm to expand its reach.

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Can a decades-old bio-control method hold the line against a pest that once ravaged American cattle herds?

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