The US Has a Plan to Combat Screwworm. It Involves a Lot More Flies
June 11, 2026

(Wired) – Releasing sterilized flies can crash a local population of flesh-eating screwworms. But the US currently has limited capacity to produce them.
Eliminated in the US in 1966 and as far south as Panama by 2006, its recent reemergence in Mexico made it likely that the screwworm would eventually enter the country again, with modeling showing that it could arrive as soon as summer 2025. It took slightly longer, but the screwworm has arrived. And to head off an outbreak, officials are deploying a tried-and-true technique: releasing lots and lots of adult screwworm flies. (Read More)