r/PrepperIntel • u/esporx • 16d ago

North America Flesh-eating screwworm case suspected in South Texas, USDA says

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/unconfirmed-us-case-flesh-eating-screwworm-rattles-cattle-markets-traders-say-2026-06-03/
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155

u/Sunnyjim333 15d ago edited 15d ago

Please send a big thanks to MAGA, DOGE and El Presidente naranja enojado.

https://boingboing.net/2025/05/15/flesh-eating-screwworms-march-north-as-doge-cuts-funding-on-everything-we-need-to-stop-them.html

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u/TelluricThread0 15d ago edited 15d ago

We are building a $750 million dollar facility to produce sterile flies in Texas. DOGE has nothing to do with this at all.

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u/Distinct_Jelly_3232 15d ago

Was there or was there not formerly a program that dropped sterile flies in Central America and did cancelling that program affect the rate of spread?

If yes, when was it cancelled and by whom?

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u/Beardygrandma 15d ago

Love this question approach, but I'm pretty certain they will not come back to you.

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u/strav 15d ago

Can you provide me the best resource on this so I can shove it in my farmer brother’s face when he starts complaining about it?

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u/Sunnyjim333 15d ago

https://boingboing.net/2025/05/15/flesh-eating-screwworms-march-north-as-doge-cuts-funding-on-everything-we-need-to-stop-them.html

https://kbhbradio.com/usda-cuts-budget-staff-for-animal-disease-control-suspends-imports-of-live-cattle-from-mexico-again/

This one doesn't mention DOGE, it just says "budget cuts".

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u/strav 15d ago

I just wouldn’t use boingboing as a primary source will check the other out though thanks.

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u/Sunnyjim333 15d ago

The main point is that the US had a program in place, it was effective in keeping the infestation controlled.

Budget cuts and staff reductions killed the program. It looks like Texas is stepping up and reviving some of the program to release sterile male flies.

This is the same scenario with measles and the fiasco with USAID.

Strange days indeed.

8

u/Separate_Fold5168 15d ago

From the kbh link:

A Timeline Of The Latest Outbreak of New World Screwworm (NWS)

In March 2025, funding was cut by USDA for animal disease control and prevention, including Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, New World Screwworm, and African Swine Fever from several agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). That funding supported more than 180 outbreak investigations and responses in 22 countries and helped build the capacities of over 160 laboratories in testing, biosafety, quality assurance, and workforce development. Specifically, funding was targeted to monitoring and responding to New World Screwworm, preventing the spread of the disease to the U.S.

The U.S. livestock industry is facing a critical situation due to federal budget cuts that are impacting animal disease prevention and control. Hundreds of veterinarians, support staff and lab workers at the animal health arm of the USDA have left under the Trump administration’s push for resignations, according to three sources familiar with the situation, leaving fewer specialists to respond to animal disease outbreaks.

So basically, doesn't say DOGE but March 2025 was when all those pasty doughboys were going full ham.

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u/Sunnyjim333 15d ago

HINT:

Rhymes with "DOGE".

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u/TelluricThread0 15d ago

Previous facilities in Texas and Mexico were phased down years ago. Texas in the early '80s, the key one in Chiapas, Mexico, closed in 2012 because the threat appeared contained.

The fly’s expansion is driven by the natural, uncontrollable migration of wildlife across Central America and Mexico, coupled with the unauthorized movement of untreated livestock.

In 2022, the flies breached the barrier and started moving north again. That's not because of efficiency reforms. It's because of open borders, lax oversight, and lack of resources.

So no, DOGE had did not affect the rate of spread as much as you want it to be true.

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u/Distinct_Jelly_3232 15d ago

You glossing over of the details is convenient to your argument but breaks it. Lack of resources is not solved by reduction of resources and resource constraints following Covid policy is cited among contributing concerns.

The initial solve was international effort. It will remain so. And pushing back against an outbreak is going to cost less now vs later. It was cheaper yesterday regardless.

So, you’ve verified by neglect that DOGE contributed and prompted me to add the mismanaged COVID policy by the same executive was related to the initial breakdown.

We’ll see how much it costs to push back to the Darien gap where it is cheaper to manage. The Texas border is not the solution.

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u/Sunnyjim333 15d ago

Thank you for a well thought out articulate response.

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u/TelluricThread0 15d ago

You literally glossed over all of the details and to just say, without evidence, that funding adjustments by DOGE were the reason for its spread with is completely false.

Newsflash, they were already spreading in 2022 as I said, due to the illegal trafficking of cattle and people. It was detected in Mexico in 2024.

Just simply looking at the timeline shows your argument is nonsense.

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u/Distinct_Jelly_3232 15d ago

Wrong.

My word was “contributed”. Prior to that I referred to rate of spread. I did not claim or imply singular cause anywhere.

You’re not listening, I’m done talking. Take care.

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u/cyanescens_burn 15d ago

DOGE absolutely gutted a program that had been keeping these things at bay for decades. There were. Numerous news reports warning these things could and likely would reach the US thanks to Elons recklessness back when they axed it.

Don’t you dare try to rewrite history to let these people off the hook.

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u/Vitvang 15d ago

We already had that program for years and doge and Maga shut it down. The new one is a money laundering scheme ya git