“In Texas cattle country, ranchers brace for flesh-eating screwworms”
Second and third Reuters front-page articles I’ve seen on the issue in the last few months.
I suspect funding and openness to new solutions may increase in response to this growing problem, which could create opportunities for projects like Screwworm-Free Future.
And another today, this one an exclusive article about the first travel-associated human case in the U.S. connected to the outbreak. My impression is that it isn’t realistically possible for these screwworms to cause a human outbreak in this context, but I think the human cases that will arise from this outbreak could be a compelling part of a broader narrative about its welfare costs and the urgency to control it.
I thought this could be relevant to a few people interested or working in bioethics:
The Bioethics Interest Group is one of several dozen Special Interest Groups that operate out of the Office of Intramural Research at the NIH. Its monthly virtual seminars “provide a discussion forum, consider different views, and present research on complex ethical issues in medical research.” If you are interested in or working in bioethics, I thought you might find it interesting to sign up for its newsletter so that you have the opportunity to read about and consider attending its seminars.
“In Texas cattle country, ranchers brace for flesh-eating screwworms”
Second and third Reuters front-page articles I’ve seen on the issue in the last few months.
I suspect funding and openness to new solutions may increase in response to this growing problem, which could create opportunities for projects like Screwworm-Free Future.
https://www.reuters.com/world/texas-cattle-country-ranchers-brace-flesh-eating-screwworms-2025-08-15/
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/mexican-ranchers-hit-by-flesh-eating-screwworm-want-action-cattle-smuggling-2025-08-15/
Updated with second article, which I didn’t originally notice.
And another today, this one an exclusive article about the first travel-associated human case in the U.S. connected to the outbreak. My impression is that it isn’t realistically possible for these screwworms to cause a human outbreak in this context, but I think the human cases that will arise from this outbreak could be a compelling part of a broader narrative about its welfare costs and the urgency to control it.
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-confirms-nations-first-travel-associated-human-screwworm-case-connected-2025-08-25/
I thought this could be relevant to a few people interested or working in bioethics:
The Bioethics Interest Group is one of several dozen Special Interest Groups that operate out of the Office of Intramural Research at the NIH. Its monthly virtual seminars “provide a discussion forum, consider different views, and present research on complex ethical issues in medical research.” If you are interested in or working in bioethics, I thought you might find it interesting to sign up for its newsletter so that you have the opportunity to read about and consider attending its seminars.