Screwworm resurges in the U.S., forcing a restart of the sterile-fly program

The United States confirmed a natural incursion of the New World screwworm in Texas cattle—the first since 1982—after decades of eradicating the pest with mass releases of sterile male flies. Facing potential billions in economic impact from livestock losses, the USDA is funding a $750 million facility in Texas to produce about 300 million sterile screwworms per week by 2027. While the comeback mirrors the historic campaign, experts note aging facilities elsewhere and a growing debate among bioethicists about using genetic modification to wipe out the species, a method not yet ready for deployment.