The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) is urging U.S. pork producers — particularly those near the Mexico border — to stay informed about the emerging threat of the New World Screwworm.
The New World Screwworm fly poses a serious risk to warm-blooded animals, including pigs. It enters through wounds or mucous membranes, laying eggs that hatch into larvae which feed on the living tissue of the host. Recent detections place the pest within 700 miles of the U.S. border, heightening concern.
SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton emphasized during a recent webinar, “Emerging Risk of New World Screwworm and Efforts to Prevent Re-introduction into the U.S.”, that producers need to know what signs to watch for and understand current prevention and control strategies.
“One of the main tools used is sterile insect technique — releasing sterile male flies into the environment,” explains Dr. Becton. “Since female flies mate only once, mating with a sterile male prevents them from laying viable eggs, effectively breaking the reproductive cycle over time.”
This control method has long been used and is now a central part of Mexico’s efforts to contain the screwworm in the Chiapas and Oaxaca regions, in collaboration with international organizations. Additional measures include identifying infected animals and restricting their movement — both to prevent spread by flies and to stop animals from carrying the parasite into uninfested regions.
SHIC encourages producers to watch the full webinar on-demand at swinehealth.org to stay updated on this issue.
For more pork industry news, visit Swineweb.com.
