BIG PINE KEY – Monroe County Mayor Pro Tem George Neugent is hosting a public meeting this Saturday to address the screwworm fly infestation and aggressive eradication response that is underway on Big Pine and No Name keys.

A panel of federal, state and local experts will explain all you’ve ever wanted to know about screwworm flies. The panel will outline the rapid response to save the endangered Key deer population and eradicate the invasive pest before it can spread and do even more harm. The response includes a sterile fly technique that was developed decades ago and led to the successful eradication of the screwworm throughout the United States, Mexico and Central America.

The panel also will discuss what the community can do to help in the response and what can be done to protect your pets. A question and answer period will follow the presentation.

The panel includes:

• Dan Clark, National Key Deer Refuge manager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Joanna Davis, DVM, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
• Greg Christy, DVM, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• Nelly Amador-John, DVM, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• Joe Fisch, DVM, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• Doug Mader, DVM, Marathon Veterinary Hospital

More information about screwworm is available at FreshFromFlorida.com.