Sterile Fly Program Helps, but Surveillance Remains Critical Against Screwworm

With New World Screwworm inching closer to the US border, numerous preventative measures are being taken to prohibit from entering the United States. Texas A&M Extension Entomologist Sonja Swiger talks about some of the issues that make that prevention difficult. “One of our biggest concerns is obviously the movement of these flies and the larvae that ensue, because that’s where we lead to further cases. A big issue is that these eggs are really small and sometimes that wound could be very small as well and they can hitch a ride on animals around to different locations.” Engineered sterile flies are one of the methods used as a countermeasure, but Swiger says surveillance and reporting are still key to the prevention process. “The key part is to check animals as frequently as possible, as well as to treat those animals and then utilize the sterile insect technique.”