On June 27, the U.S. and Mexico inaugurated a New World screwworm (NWS) sterile fly production plant in the southernmost Mexican state of Chiapas.
The plant began operations on June 28 and is expected to produce 28 million sterile flies per week by mid-July, gradually increasing to 100 million flies by the end of the year. The $50-million Metapa de Domínguez facility will add its production to that of the sterile fly production plant in Panama, which has been producing 100 million sterile flies per week.
“Our countries have defeated this pest before, 40 or 50 years ago, and we are going to do it again thanks to the extraordinary work we will carry out with this plant,” said USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins.
As of the afternoon of June 30, there were 20 active NWS cases reported in the U.S., and seven inactive cases.
