Mexico launches sterile‑fly release in Tamaulipas to combat screwworm

President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Mexico will start dispersing sterile flies in the state of Tamaulipas to eradicate the screwworm (gusano barrenador) that threatens cattle. The insects will be produced at a new facility in Metapa de Domínguez, Chiapas, built with binational financing of US$57 million. The plant began operations on 28 July and is expected to release 28 million sterile flies per week by mid‑July, scaling up to about 100 million weekly by the end of 2026.

The strategy, previously used by Mexico and the United States, aims to interrupt the reproductive cycle of the parasite; females that mate with sterile males produce no offspring, reducing the pest population. Sheinbaum said, “Ya se hizo antes entre Estados Unidos y México y ahora lo estamos repitiendo.” Project coordinator Humberto Gómez Velásquez added that the output “brindará la confianza al país vecino para la reapertura de la frontera.”

In Tamaulipas, a 15‑million‑peso investment supports surveillance, mobile teams and “volanta” units, with more than 60 field agents coordinating with SENASICA, the USDA and other animal‑health agencies. The effort seeks to lift temporary U.S. restrictions on Mexican cattle imports and safeguard the livestock sector.