International News: US tests genetically modified flies in fight against New World Screwworm

By Zoila Palma:  Scientists are preparing to conduct the first outdoor tests of genetically modified screwworm flies at a U.S.-funded facility in Panama, as officials race to develop a more effective tool against the flesh-eating parasite that has spread across Central America, Mexico and into the United States.

The flies, known as NovoFly, will initially be kept in mesh cages under Panama’s hot and humid conditions to determine how well they survive outside laboratory settings, Reuters report.

New World Screwworm flies pose a serious threat to livestock because females lay eggs in open wounds, with larvae eventually burrowing into living flesh and potentially killing untreated animals. The traditional method of controlling the pest involves releasing millions of radiation-sterilized flies to mate with wild females, preventing reproduction.

However, the Panama facility currently produces about 100 million sterile flies each week, while experts estimate that as many as 500 million may be needed to push the pest back toward the Darién Gap.

NovoFly has been genetically engineered to produce only male offspring, which can then be sterilized before being released into the wild. Because female screwworm flies typically mate only once, the sterile males can gradually reduce the wild population.

Researchers plan to conduct larger field trials at a nearby ranch after the initial tests, releasing about 50,000 marked flies every few days and monitoring their survival and ability to compete with wild males for mates.

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