About this episode

The episode discusses the resurgence of the New World Screwworm in Texas and the efforts to control its spread.

Flesh-eating parasitic flies have been found in the US state of Texas for the first time in decades. Known as the New World Screwworm, officials have now put plans in place to try and contain its spread. The fly feeds off warm-blooded animals, like cattle, dogs and horses, but if detected early enough, with treatment, the animals can make a full recovery. It can also infest humans, but human deaths are rare and it poses no food safety issues. The New World Screwworm is not a new problem; it is considered endemic in South America and some parts of Central America, towards South America. But despite the United States declaring itself screwworm free in the 1960s, the country has since seen several outbreaks. Officials have been tracking this latest case since late 2024. To date, the most widely used method to try and control the spread of the screwworm is the Sterile Insect Technique, whereby millions of flies are hatched and exposed to radiation, before they are released into the wild. And the idea here is that as the females only mate once in a lifetime, any eggs they lay will be unfertilised and will not hatch. There is currently only one facility hatching these flies in…

People in this episode

Guest: Grace VanHoy

Topics covered

• New World Screwworm
• parasitic flies
• animal health
• veterinary challenges
• invasive species
• Sterile Insect Technique

Keywords

• New World Screwworm
• Texas
• flesh-eating flies
• Sterile Insect Technique
• animal recovery
• veterinary knowledge

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC World Service

Places: Texas, South America, Central America

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