U.S. Revives Six-Decade-Old Defense Against Screwworm Parasite

Texas cattle tested positive for New World screwworm in June—the first U.S. case since 1966. A facility at Moore Air Base, opened months earlier, now breeds sterile male flies. Released into the wild, they mate with females but produce no offspring, suppressing the parasite population. Federal and state officials are activating containment protocols designed for exactly this threat.