ABSTRACT
The use of the sterile insect technique (SIT) in New World screwworm Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) eradication programmes has been successfully demonstrated. As a result of a 55-year area-wide campaign, suppression and eradication have been achieved in the USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama north of the Canal, some Caribbean Islands, and the outbreak in Libya, North Africa. The humans, livestock, and wildlife in these countries are now free of this dangerous pest. It has been estimated that the annual producer benefits are: USA — USD 896 million, Mexico — USD 329 million, and Central America — USD 88 million. In Libya, the estimated benefit/cost ratio was 5:1 in the infested zone, and 10:1 in the whole country; in addition, the pest never became established in the African and Mediterranean regions. If the New World screwworm were eradicated in South America, it has been estimated that each year about USD 3600 million would be saved. Small-scale field trials have confirmed that the SIT would also be effective for the area-wide control of the Old World screwworm Chrysomya bezziana (Villeneuve). Australia has developed extensive preparedness planning in case of potential screwworm outbreaks, which includes the application of the SIT to maintain its screwworm-free status.
