In one of the most successful insect eradication programs in history, the New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) has been eradicated from North and Central America using sterile insect technique. Currently, this parasite still causes myiasis in livestock, humans, and other warm-blooded animals in much of South America and the Caribbean. For this reason, a permanent biological barrier is maintained at the Panama Colombia border. Recently there have been over 4,000 of cases of C. hominivorax in Panama since February 2022. Efforts thus far to regain eradication in Panama are promising. However, this provides a unique opportunity to characterize the population genetics of this invasion and identify the origin of these flies. Flies involved in the invasion were collected and sequenced across their geographic expansion. Utilizing a previously developed geographic population reference database, developed using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the potential origin of these flies will be determined. Understanding the invasion pathway of these recent cases could aid in efforts to stop outbreaks from recurring in the future.
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