health
Screwworm outbreak avoids crisis, but partisan blame persists
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TL;DR
- The New World screwworm has reappeared in the U.S. after being declared eradicated decades ago.
- Politicians are blaming each other's policies, with the Trump administration citing immigration policies and Democrats pointing to budget cuts to agricultural programs.
- Efforts to combat the screwworm include expanding sterile fly production facilities and utilizing new drugs.
- The sterile fly technique, which involves releasing sterile male flies to mate with females, was instrumental in the original eradication.
- The closure of several sterile fly production facilities over the years is cited as a contributing factor to the current vulnerability.
- Officials and industry leaders express confidence that the situation is under control and not a crisis, despite the partisan disputes.