By A facility that will produce sterile flies to help combat a parasite that can kill livestock has opened in Edinburg. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins joined Governor Greg Abbott and other dignitaries in a ceremony at the facility Monday.
Rollins said the facility will be a critical part of efforts to keep the New World Screwworm from spreading into the United States from Mexico.
Officials hope the sterile male flies will keep female screwworm flies from reproducing. The female flies often lay their eggs in cuts and wounds, leading to an infestation that can sicken and kill healthy cattle.
