The work is underway to, once again, rid the United States of the New World Screwworm. While the response plan is in place, there’s a lot of work to do. Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau, said the biggest need is the mass production of more sterile flies.
“When we look at what it takes to combat New World Screwworm, sterile fly technique is the best weapon we have against them. Right now, the only production facility that is actively producing flies is the COPEG facility down in Panama. That’s producing about 100 million flies per week. Now, construction has started on a facility at Moore Air Force Base to produce about 300 million, at its peak, per week. An additional construction project is ongoing in Mexico with a facility that should produce between 60 and 100 million flies per week, once it comes online.
But that’s not the only step to take in the battle against NWS.
“A few other things we need to think about here include vigilant biosecurity on the farm level. It’s really important for farmers to get eyes on their animals as frequently as possible, to establish a working relationship with their veterinarian, and to keep ties close in case there’s a suspicious case that needs to be reported to the vet. We need to inspect pens for anything that could cause a wound, as well as to follow veterinarian protocols for dressing wounds that could be susceptible to New World Screwworm.”
If you see something, Nelson said it’s vital that producers don’t hesitate to say something.
“Another challenge that we need to really pay attention to is that New World Screwworm eradication relies heavily on the reporting of suspected cases. Now, there’s kind of a concern that farmers might hesitate to notify authorities due to potential consequences, quarantines, or, you know, the possibility of triggering a broader quarantine zone that could affect neighbors or the surrounding communities.”