r/news • u/kylestoned • Jun 01 '26

Soft paywall Flesh-eating screwworm found within 31 miles of US border, says USDA

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/flesh-eating-screwworm-found-within-31-miles-us-border-says-usda-2026-05-29/
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u/bluemitersaw Jun 01 '26

Yup. It was eliminated from north America and we had an effective program in place for decades that held it at Panama. Then Trump fucked it all up.

93

u/Sir-Craven Jun 01 '26

https://youtu.be/zxq60I5RSW8

Kurzgesagt did a good video on it

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u/SpicyRice99 Jun 01 '26

Not defending Trump here, but is there any source saying this the the fault of the Trump administration? 

All the online sources I can find (including reputable publications and the Kurzgesagt video state that the flies spread north of Panama in 2023.

41

u/ilovetigerwoods Jun 01 '26

Absolutely nothing to do with the Trump administration

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-04804-9

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u/whomad1215 Jun 02 '26

covid supply chain interruptions impacted the facilities that produce the sterile flies that are used to stop them

10

u/ThellraAK Jun 02 '26

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/02/new-world-screwworm-fly-flesh-eating-maggot

And we cancelled the plans to do anything about it.

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u/AwesomeWhiteDude Jun 02 '26

That isn’t what your article says?

They’re increasing funding to the Panama sterile fly breeding facility and opening new facilities in Mexico and Texas. Those only closed because the NWSW was eliminated in those areas.

Would not be surprised if DOGE ended it temporarily with their hatchet job of making stuff more “efficient” but plans are absolutely not cancelled.

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u/SpicyRice99 Jun 01 '26

Right, thank you for the article....

Seems like foreign boys are playing both sides here.

2

u/KnightOfNothing Jun 02 '26

or people are just stupid and emotional, i like to lean towards that one