U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith from Mississippi has joined a bipartisan effort to combat the potential threat of the New World screwworm reaching the United States. This week, she cosponsored the Strengthening Tactics to Obstruct the Population of Screwworms (STOP Screwworms) Act, designated as S.1751. The legislation aims to bolster American measures against this pest, which poses significant risks to animal health and agriculture.
The move follows Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ decision to close the southern border to live imports of cattle, horses, and bison due to increasing cases of New World screwworm in southern Mexico and Central America.
Hyde-Smith emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue: “The spread of the New World screwworm represents a serious threat to the U.S. cattle and livestock industry if left alone. The Trump administration recognizes the risk, and this legislation would give us the capacity to once again stop this pest before it infects our herds.”
The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae can affect livestock, wildlife, pets, birds, and occasionally humans. Over recent years, its presence has expanded northward through several Central American countries into Mexico.
To tackle this outbreak, the STOP Screwworms Act proposes funding for a new sterile fly production facility under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s direction. This facility would enhance efforts by producing sterile male flies for release in affected areas, reducing screwworm populations.
Currently, Panama hosts the only facility using Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) specifically for NWS. This method was instrumental in eradicating NWS from both the United States in the 1960s and Mexico in the 1990s.
Senator John Cornyn from Texas introduced S.1751 with support from Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). A companion bill was also introduced in the House by Representative Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). The proposal has received endorsements from entities like the American Farm Bureau Federation and other agricultural groups.
