US government to build $8.5M fly-breeding facility to combat cattle parasite threat

The U.S. government announced plans Wednesday to physique an $8.5 cardinal fly-breeding installation adjacent the US-Mexico borderline 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, volition breed millions of sterile antheral New World screwworm flies. The males volition past beryllium released into the chaotic to mate with females, preventing them from laying eggs that crook into flesh-eating larvae, the Associated Press reported.

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

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

The Texas installation would beryllium lone the 2nd of its benignant successful the 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 the alert successful Mexico — arsenic adjacent arsenic 700 miles from the Southern borderline — person raised concerns among officials. Last month, authorities responded by suspending cattle, equine and bison imports on the US-Mexico border, according to a quality merchandise from the USDA.

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

Taking further measures, the USDA said it whitethorn besides make a companion breeding halfway astatine the Texas determination truthful that arsenic galore arsenic 300 cardinal flies could beryllium produced each week. The enforcement section besides plans to walk $21 cardinal to person a abstracted installation adjacent Mexico's borderline with Guatemala into 1 for breeding for the fly. That tract won't beryllium acceptable until the 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 volition bash it again," U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said successful a statement. "We bash not instrumentality lightly the menace [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 the wild, wholly eradicating the insect from the state for decades. While determination are treatments for infestations of the fly, officials interest astir the economical impacts connected farmers. Household pets and humans tin besides beryllium infested by the larvae, AP reported.

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

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

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"We spot the enthusiasm for practice that Secretary Rollins mentioned, and based connected nonsubjective results and the reports from the USDA ngo visiting america this week, we volition 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.