The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is shifting its 100 million per week sterile fly dispersal efforts to stop the northern spread of New World screwworm.
The USDA said it will reallocate aircraft and sterile insects to reinforce coverage along the U.S.-Mexico border. The new dispersal area, or polygon, will include operations about 50 miles into Texas, along the U.S. border with the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. At the latest count, this area has been the site of 16 reported detections, with 13 cases currently active.