A U.S.-funded facility in Panama is preparing to launch the first outdoor tests of genetically modified screwworm flies, a desperate measure taken as widespread infestations threaten over $1 billion in losses to Texas’ livestock industry. This crisis follows the failure of existing border defenses, which allowed the flesh-eating parasite to spread into U.S. states. The facility, jointly managed and financed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Panama’s Ministry of Agricultural Development, was established 20 years ago with the explicit goal of maintaining a barrier against the pest’s northward movement.
Wild screwworm flies have now spread throughout Mexico and, just one month ago, infested livestock on Texas farms for the first time in decades. The current sterile fly production, churning out about 100 million flies weekly from the Panama plant, isn't enough. Experts estimate 500 million flies per week are needed to push the screwworm back to the Darien Gap, the natural rainforest boundary between Panama and Colombia.
Elite Solutions, National Costs
The Trump administration previously touted the genetically modified fly, named NovoFly, as a crucial weapon against the New World screwworm. This engineered insect is designed to produce only males. Once sterilized, these male offspring would be released to mate with wild females, which typically mate only once, leading to a population decline.
The USDA began using this sterile insect technique 69 years ago, successfully eradicating the pest from the United States 60 years ago. However, the current crisis highlights a profound breakdown in the established containment strategy. The NovoFly project aims to boost sterile fly production, as the Panama facility currently produces both males and females, with females being useless for population control and difficult to separate.
Scott Hutchins, USDA’s chief scientist and an undersecretary, stated one month ago that NovoFly would “almost instantaneously double the number of sterile flies that we put in the fight,” and provide “a tremendous edge.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a proposed decision to register NovoFly one month ago, potentially making it the first genetically modified insect to receive full EPA clearance.
Sovereignty Under Strain
Officials at the Kerrville lab in Texas, where some screwworm research is conducted, are awaiting approval from Panama’s biosecurity agency to begin outdoor tests. The Panama-United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Screwworm, which operates the Panama plant, deferred information requests to the USDA. The Panamanian Food Agency declined comment. This opaque decision-making process leaves national interests subject to foreign approval and bureaucratic silence.
Initial tests in Panama will involve confining flies in mesh cages to measure their survival in local conditions. Larger field trials are expected to begin in nine to 12 weeks at a nearby ranch, where 50,000 insects will be released every few days. Maxwell Scott, an entomologist who helped develop NovoFly, cautioned that the flies “may not fly very well” in the field.
Rear Admiral Michael Schmoyer, leading USDA’s efforts, warned against rushing the process, citing the risk of a “total brood collapse” that would force a restart from zero. Experts suggest it might be less risky to produce NovoFly at a new facility in Texas, expected to open late next year, rather than risk disrupting the largest source of sterile flies in Panama.
The Cost to the Native Working Class
The current spread of screwworms directly threatens the livelihoods of American farmers and the native working class dependent on the livestock industry. The estimated $1 billion in potential losses to Texas alone underscores the economic vulnerability created by porous borders and the reliance on international, elite-driven solutions. Mexico supports using the male-only flies, with plans to produce them at a newly reopened plant by the end of the year. Eventually, production could occur in Panama, Mexico, and the planned U.S. plant in Texas, further entangling national efforts in a supranational framework.
Kim Lohmeyer, Kerrville lab director, hopes for a faster eradication than the decades it took to control the pests in the 1960s. However, even with successful trials and production, she estimates it will likely take more than a year to control the pest, emphasizing, “We need more flies.” This ongoing struggle highlights the persistent challenge of securing national interests when border integrity is compromised, forcing reliance on foreign labs and unproven technologies.