A new sterile fly dispersal facility has been opened in Tampico, Mexico, as part of efforts to fight against the spread of harmful New World screwworm (NWS) flies into the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a Nov. 13 statement.
NWS parasites can cause significant damage to livestock. Female flies lay eggs on wounds or orifices of warm-blooded animals. When the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow into the wound, feeding on the flesh. As more eggs hatch and feed, the wound becomes deeper and larger, eventually killing off the animal. A single female NWS can lay up to 3,000 eggs in its lifetime. As such, a large swarm of these parasites can be devastating for cattle farmers.
