Queen Creek, Arizona — The University of Arizona has been awarded a $3.74 million federal grant to strengthen the state's preparedness for New World screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals and threaten livestock, wildlife and rural economies.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture grant will fund work to detect, prepare for and respond to the pest, which was eradicated from the United States decades ago through a binational sterile-fly release program with Mexico. Researchers will validate a PCR-based diagnostic tool, test virtual fencing collars and GPS ear tags for early illness detection, and build machine-learning risk maps, the university said.
"What made our proposal unique is that we used transdisciplinary approaches to developing it where producers were at the table from the start," said Amy Ganguli, the extension specialist leading the project. Arizona Department of Agriculture director Paul Brierley said the funding will help power "the all-hands-on-deck effort required to protect our livestock industry."
Queen Creek, southeast of Phoenix in the growing Sun Corridor, is home to ranching and livestock operations that would be directly affected if the screwworm reaches Arizona. The University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension offices serve Maricopa and Pinal counties where many of those producers operate.
