The International Atomic Energy Agency has raised concerns about the New World screwworm spreading across North America, threatening billions in damages for US ranchers. Head of the IAEA's Austrian laboratory, Rui Cardoso Pereira, says more sterile flies and better coordination with southern neighbors are essential to contain the parasitic outbreak that has already infected cattle in Texas.

Sterile-insect production has fallen dramatically since the pest was eradicated decades ago. Panama currently produces only about 100 million flies weekly, compared to roughly 500 million per week during previous outbreaks in the 1960s and 1970s. A Texas facility aims to add 300 million flies weekly but won't reach full operation until 2027, leaving a critical gap in containment capacity.

Pereira identifies the lack of sterilization factories as the primary bottleneck preventing scientists from controlling the outbreak. Climate change worsens the threat by extending warm seasons, allowing the fly to reproduce further north than before. Central American countries that haven't seen the pest in 30-40 years now face a knowledge gap, as newer veterinarians lack experience dealing with the parasite.

The agency plans additional surveillance measures across Central America and Mexico while racing to rebuild production capacity. Without coordinated action spanning from the southern US border through the Panama Canal, the screwworm could cause severe economic damage to cattle operations across the continent.