On Wednesday, the U.S. government revealed plans to construct an $8.5 million fly-breeding facility near the US-Mexico border. This effort is part of a strategy to stop a flesh-eating parasite from affecting cattle.
The proposed facility, which will be situated at Moore Air Base in Texas, is set to produce millions of sterile male New World screwworm flies. These males will then be released to mate with females in the wild, inhibiting them from laying eggs that develop into flesh-eating larvae, according to the Associated Press.
Female New World screwworm flies deposit their eggs in the wounds of animals. These eggs hatch into larvae, or maggots, which burrow into flesh, leading to potentially fatal damage, as noted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The U.S. has previously bred and released New World screwworm flies into the wild, completely eradicating the insect from the country for decades. While there are treatments for infestations of the fly, officials worry about the economic impacts on farmers. Household pets and humans can also be infested by the larvae, AP reported.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks to members of the press outside of the White House in Washington, D.C. on February 14, 2025. (Getty Images)
New World screwworm flies are endemic in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and some South American countries, according to the USDA.
“We trust the enthusiasm for cooperation that Secretary Rollins mentioned, and based on objective results and the reports from the USDA mission visiting us this week, we will be able to restart exports of our cattle as soon as possible,” Mexican Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegué said in a post on X on Wednesday.
The USDA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
