Tamaulipas to release 5 million sterile flies weekly to eradicate cattle screwworm

Tamaulipas is launching a significant campaign to combat the cattle screwworm by releasing five million sterile flies each week. The strategy will begin in the municipality of San Fernando and gradually expand southward across the state.

This effort is a collaborative project between the Tamaulipas state government and federal authorities. Governor Américo Villarreal Anaya has consistently overseen the actions taken to safeguard the region's livestock health. The announcement by President Claudia Sheinbaum regarding the sterile fly production plant in Metapa, Chiapas, has been welcomed as excellent news.

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The strategy contemplates advancing from north to south, so Tamaulipas is included in this program, which represents very good news for our state.

Federal officials anticipate the plant will reach a production capacity of 15 million sterile flies per week within approximately one month. Once this volume is achieved, the release program will commence based on national epidemiological analysis. This program is considered crucial for the state's agricultural sector.

Meanwhile, incidences of the cattle screwworm have shown a positive trend, decreasing from 140 active cases last week to 100 at the start of this week. The primary areas affected are Soto la Marina and Aldama, where sanitary brigades have intensified their presence and implemented control measures. These measures include sanitary sweeps, administering doramectin to affected animals, and using the product Exalt as part of the eradication protocol.

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We continue working with all the measures we have implemented and reinforcing actions in the areas where the highest number of cases occur.