The Screwworm Invasion Explained (In 10 Minutes)

What the film says

1. The New World screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax, is a blowfly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals.

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2. Raymond Bushland and Edward Knipling developed the sterile insect technique.

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3. The US and Mexico released more than 94 billion sterile flies from 1962 to 1975.

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4. In autumn 2016 an outbreak struck endangered Key deer in the Florida Keys.

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5. The USDA estimated that a Texas outbreak could cost $1.8 billion.

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6. On June 3, 2026 the USDA confirmed a screwworm case in Zavala County, Texas.

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