Eradication of the screwworm from Libya using the sterile insect technique
Eradication of the screwworm from Libya using the sterile insect technique
Tags: Sterile insect technique (SIT)M. Vargas-Terán, B. S. Hursey and E. P. Cunningham, Parasitology Today, 10:119-122. 1994.
The introduction in 1988 of the New World screwworrn into Libya presented a serious threat to the livestock and wildlife sectors of the Afican continent Mediterranean and the region. In this article, MoisPs Vargas-Terin, Brian 8. Hursey and Edward P. Cunningham describe the action taken to determine the extent of the problem, to prevent the spread of the infestation and to eradicate the fly from the region using the sterile insect technique. New World screwworm hominivorax; myiasis is caused by the larval stage of the fly (Cochliomyia Coquerel) infesting the tissues of living animals. It is an obligate parasite and the female may oviposit in any wound or abrasion in mammals, including humans. Its natural distribution extends from the state of Minnesota, USA, southwards as far as Buenos Aires, Argentina, and includes the Caribbean region.
