The figure keeps the Ministry of Social Development (MIDA) and the Panama – United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of the Screwworm (COPEG) on alert and with strict eradication plans.

The cattle screwworm is a larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly that feeds on the living tissue of animals and humans. A re-infestation of this pest, as is currently happening, can cause losses in the livestock sector of millions of dollars.

According to COPEG director, María Celia Antognoli, there are incidences of the pest in almost all regions of the country, except in the Guna Yala area, and it is most prevalent in the Darién, Veraguas and Chiriquí zones.

The veterinarian and epidemiologist indicated that measures are being taken to mitigate this outbreak, through the dispersion of sterile flies, containment, and cleaning.

As explained by the expert, it is important to mitigate the outbreak because it causes the country to lose money, leather, milk, meat, cattle, and production. In Central America, she added, cases of screwworm have been reported in Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

At the moment COPEG managed to increase sterile fly production from 20 million in 2022 to 85 million flies per week, however, they expect to reach a ceiling of 100 million by June and then proceed to disperse them in July.

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