The United States will drop billions of flies on Mexico and Texas

US authorities are preparing to release billions of sterile flies from aircraft over Mexico and southern Texas to stop the spread of a dangerous parasite - screwworm fly larvae that feed on living tissues. The project aims to protect livestock, wildlife, and even pets from the deadly threat. This was reported by The Associated Press (AP).

The US Department of Agriculture plans to mass-breed adult male flies, sterilize them with radiation, and release them into the wild. The sterile males will mate with wild females, producing no offspring and gradually eliminating the parasite population. According to scientists, this is more environmentally friendly and effective than using poisons.

Sterilizing flies and their mass release from aircraft have already helped completely eradicate this pest in the US and countries north of Panama decades ago. However, in late 2023, the screwworm fly reappeared in southern Mexico.

Scientists have already confirmed plans to open a new fly breeding facility in southern Mexico by July 2026 and create a distribution center in Texas by the end of 2024. If necessary, the US will import sterile flies from a facility in Panama, which can produce up to 117 million flies per week, but at least 400 million per week are needed to combat the threat.

The danger of the larvae is related to the fact that unlike most flies that feed on decaying tissues, the screwworm fly lays eggs in open wounds or mucous membranes of living warm-blooded animals, including humans. The hatched larvae literally eat the flesh from the inside.

"A thousand-pound cow can die within two weeks," said Michael Bailey from the American Veterinary Association.

Researchers emphasize that fly sterilization technologies and their mass release are considered one of the most important victories of American agricultural science, but warn that even after complete eradication of the pest, the facilities should not be closed.

"What we consider completely defeated can always return," noted University of Florida professor Edwin Burgess.