It aims to expand sterile insect production and strengthen monitoring as the parasite spreads across the Americas.
On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched a new project to curb the resurgence of the New World Screwworm through the use of nuclear technology.
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The initiative is based on the sterile insect technique (SIT), a method in which insects are sterilized through radiation so that, once released into the environment, they mate with wild insects without reproducing, gradually reducing the vector population.
The outbreak has raised alarm after the first case in livestock in the United States in more than 40 years since the pest was eradicated was confirmed earlier this month, following its reemergence in Central America and Mexico.
The spread of this parasitic fly, whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, causing potentially fatal infections, poses a serious threat to the livestock sector, local economies and public health.
An effective response to the outbreak using the SIT method is estimated to require up to 600 million sterile insects per week, while current production stands at about 100 million at the U.S.-Panama Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Screwworm (COPEG) facility in Panama, the only operational plant dedicated to this task.
That figure would be supplemented by planned expansions at facilities in Metapa de Dominguez, Mexico, and Mission, Texas, which could increase production capacity by up to 400 million flies per week over the coming years.
The first U.S. case of New World screwworm in nearly 60 years was found by Robbie Graff in one of his newborn calves.
The calf is doing well today because Robbie caught it early and reported it quickly. Federal and state officials followed with sterile fly releases to help stop… pic.twitter.com/pFT7RP5Zl8
— Texas Farm Bureau (@TexasFarmBureau) June 18, 2026
The project, scheduled to last five years with a budget of US$1 million, aims to strengthen mass rearing, sterilization and controlled release of insects, while improving monitoring and control tools.
The insect was previously eradicated using the sterile insect technique to maintain a biological barrier in the Darien Gap in southern Panama, which remained effective until 2022, when the pest began spreading north again.
The parasite’s return poses a serious threat to livestock, animal welfare, wildlife and public health, with potentially significant socioeconomic impacts. These include livestock losses, damage to hides and reduced milk and meat production.
The previous eradication effort generated an estimated US$1.3 billion in annual benefits for producers in the United States, Mexico and Central America.
The IAEA and FAO also launched the Coordinated Research Project (CRP), which will bring together experts from more than 20 countries, to strengthen surveillance, optimize fly rearing and sterilization, and improve release and control strategies.
“The New World screwworm outbreak in Central America, Mexico and the United States is a timely reminder that pests and diseases never respect borders,” FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva @LulaOficial : “Latin America is a region of peace, without nuclear weapons; our drones are for agriculture and science, not for war.” The president emphasizes: “Defense is deterrence, we cannot be invaded!”#Latam #Brazil #Lula… pic.twitter.com/YYmzCEqQKj
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) March 9, 2026
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Source: EFE
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