Us Government To Build $8.5m Fly-breeding Facility To Combat Cattle Parasite Threat

The U.S. government announced plans Wednesday to build an $8.5 cardinal fly-breeding installation adjacent nan US-Mexico separator arsenic portion of an inaugural to forestall a flesh-eating parasite from infesting cattle.

The planned site, slated to beryllium located astatine Moore Air Base in Texas, will breed millions of sterile antheral New World screwworm flies. The males will past beryllium released into nan chaotic to mate pinch females, preventing them from laying eggs that move into flesh-eating larvae, nan Associated Press reported.

A female New World screwworm alert lays eggs successful nan coiled of an animal. The eggs past hatch into larvae, aliases maggots, that burrow into nan flesh, causing perchance deadly damage, according to nan U.S. Department of Agriculture.

FLESH-EATING NEW WORLD SCREWWORM COULD POSE HEALTH RISKS TO CATTLE, HUMANS

The Texas installation would beryllium only nan 2nd of its benignant successful nan Western Hemisphere, AP reported.

An big New World screwworm alert sits astatine remainder successful this undated photo.  (Denise Bonilla/U.S. Department of Agriculture via AP)

Recent appearances of nan alert successful Mexico — arsenic adjacent arsenic 700 miles from nan Southern separator — person raised concerns among officials. Last month, authorities responded by suspending cattle, equine and bison imports on nan US-Mexico border, according to a news merchandise from nan USDA.

US SHUTS SOUTHERN BORDER TO LIVESTOCK IMPORTS TO STOP SPREAD OF DEADLY FLIES

Taking further measures, nan USDA said it whitethorn besides create a companion breeding halfway astatine nan Texas location truthful that arsenic galore arsenic 300 cardinal flies could beryllium produced each week. The executive section besides plans to walk $21 cardinal to person a abstracted installation adjacent Mexico's separator pinch Guatemala into 1 for breeding for nan fly. That tract won't beryllium fresh until nan extremity of 2026, according to AP.

A New World screwworm larvae sits astatine remainder successful this undated photo.  (USDA Agricultural Research Service via AP)

"The United States has defeated [New World screwworm] before, and we will do it again," U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said successful a statement. "We do not return lightly nan threat [New World screwworm] poses to our livestock industry, our system and our nutrient proviso chain."

USDA THREATENS TO HALT MEXICAN BEEF IMPORTS OVER FLESH-EATING FLY CRISIS

The U.S. has antecedently bred and released New World screwworm flies into nan wild, wholly eradicating the insect from nan state for decades. While location are treatments for infestations of nan fly, officials interest astir nan economical impacts connected farmers. Household pets and humans tin besides beryllium infested by nan larvae, AP reported.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks to members of nan property extracurricular of nan White House successful Washington, D.C. connected February 14, 2025. (Getty Images)

New World screwworm flies are endemic successful Cuba, Haiti, nan Dominican Republic and immoderate South American countries, according to nan USDA.

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"We spot nan enthusiasm for practice that Secretary Rollins mentioned, and based connected nonsubjective results and nan reports from nan USDA ngo visiting america this week, we will beryllium capable to restart exports of our cattle arsenic soon arsenic possible," Mexican Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegué said successful a station connected X connected Wednesday.

The USDA did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment.