Nordion Supports Mexico’s Screwworm Eradication Effort Through SIT
The New World screwworm, a parasitic fly eradicated from the U.S. and Central America in the 1960s, reemerged in Mexico in 2024, threatening the country’s beef industry. Mexico’s SENASICA is combating the outbreak using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), which uses low-dose radiation to sterilize insects and prevent reproduction.
Following renewed agricultural collaboration between Canada and Mexico, SENASICA approached Nordion in late 2025 to assess and upgrade their screwworm irradiation facility, originally built in 1979 but dormant for years. Nordion proposed significant facility upgrades, which are now being actively implemented. SENASICA operates three Nordion-built irradiation facilities supporting Mexico’s agricultural biosecurity efforts.