The Problem

The New World Screwworm is a flesh-eating fly that lays eggs in open wounds. The larvae burrow into living flesh, consuming the host from inside. Infected animals experience excruciating pain, stop eating, and die slowly over days to weeks. This parasite occasionally infects humans too.

This happens to hundreds of millions of animals every year across South America. The annual economic cost is $3.5-7 billion in livestock losses alone. The suffering inflicted on wild animals is unquantified but likely orders of magnitude larger.

Screwworm was eliminated from the US and Central America using sterile insect technique between the 1960s and early 2000s. South America was left behind because of coordination failures and lack of international support.

Why Now

The barrier collapsed. Screwworm is moving north toward US agricultural interests, creating unprecedented political will. Without coordination, countries will act defensively. South America remains infested, the US spends billions on perpetual containment, and hundreds of millions of animals continue to die in agony.

New technologies like gene-drive-enhanced sterile insect technique could make eradication faster and cheaper than ever before.

What We Do

Screwworm Free Future (Futuro Libre de la Bichera / Futuro Livre de Bicheira) coordinates the scientific, economic, and political work needed for continental elimination. We are the only organization working full-time on screwworm eradication advocacy.

How To Support Us

www.every.org/screwworm-free-future