Bangladesh, July 4 -- In a bold and unconventional effort to stave off a potentially devastating threat to its livestock industry, the United States is preparing to release billions of sterilized flies from airplanes over Mexico and southern Texas. The target of this aerial assault is the New World screwworm – a flesh-eating parasite capable of infecting and killing large animals, including cattle, deer, and even humans.

The initiative, reported by the Associated Press (AP), aims to control and ultimately eradicate the screwworm population through a process known as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). This involves breeding massive numbers of male screwworm flies, sterilizing them with radiation, and releasing them into infested re...