Flesh-eating screwworm returns to U.S. after 60 years, threatening cattle herd

[Igel]

33. The problem's bigger than that.

It was eradicated down to the Darien Gap, pretty much.

It started heading north because of a lot of immigrants cutting through that gap. Bringing infected animals. Or they were infected themselves. That was in '22 and '23. It spread north from the Gap-proximal countries in '24, getting to Guatemala.

No question it would get here in '25 or '26. We "monitored." Rather like "monitoring" a train that's barreling down on your car parked on the tracks. Reducing 'monitoring' is not a big problem--granted, you may know less, but 'monitoring' is not 'resisting.'

The 'gold standard' that got rid of the pest on numerous Caribbean islands as well as central American was to the release of truly massive amounts of sterilized adult flies. We're talking hundreds of millions a week. Right now our capacity is a few million a week--hardly enough to make a noticeable difference in a large area. Perhaps it'll matter in the area where the one instance was identified. But it's widespread in northern Mexico at this time and those immigrants don't recognize borders.

They're building a 'production' center now to be able to release the required number of flies. Might come on line this summer, but it was planned for next year. It's been suddenly fast tracked. It should have been up and running and sending sterile flies down south when? How about '22 and '23--when the 'frontline' wasn't nearly as wide and control would have been a lot, lot easier. But, no.

In '25 the pest managed to spread from down near Guatemala up fairly north in Mexico--again, not naturally, unless you count the transportation of infected animals (pets or livestock) as 'natural'. Mexico could have been taking steps, but, you know, it monitored.