When the U.S. CDC announced the resurgence of New World Screwworm (NWS) in the Americas in October 2024, the flies that produce larvae that feed on living tissue were still thousands of miles away from the United States border.
However, the situation has rapidly changed in 2025, with the the CDC and the USDA confirming the detection of NWS in northern Mexico.
NWS is a significant threat to Texas, the largest cattle-producing state.
Over $900 Million Funds Advance Defenses Against Approaching New World Screwworms
Novel Polio Vaccines on the Horizon
Since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was established in 1988, it has presented a roadmap to achieving a world free of all forms of poliovirus.
For 2022-2026, the GPEI strategy has two clear goals: Interrupt All Poliovirus Transmission in Endemic Countries, and Stop Transmission of Variant Poliovirus and Prevent Outbreaks in Non-endemic countries.
These GPEI goals are being challenged as 39 countries were recently identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as being at-risk for poliovirus.