The United States is building a $610 million facility in Texas for the mass breeding of sterile flies, which will be released into the wild to combat a parasite that affects warm-blooded animals. Reuters reports this.
The fly in question is the New World screwworm. Its females lay eggs in animals' open wounds, and the hatched larvae feed on living tissue. Without timely treatment, the infestation can kill the animal. The parasite affects cattle, goats, horses and pets, and in rare cases humans.
Sterile males are used to combat the pest. They mate with wild females, but no offspring are produced. Regular releases of such insects make it possible to gradually reduce the parasite population.
The new facility at the Moore base in Edinburg is scheduled to open in spring 2027.
The Pentagon announced the award of a contract to MA Mortenson to build the facility back in March 2026.
The United States currently has no operating production of sterile flies, so the country depends on supplies from Panama and Mexico. Facilities in the two countries together produce around 150 million insects a week.
The first cases of livestock infestation in Texas in the current outbreak were detected in June 2026. Mass production of sterile flies is expected to help contain the further spread of the parasite.
