U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced on Friday an $850 million investment to keep New World screwworm (NWS) out of the country.
Previously, a sterile fly distribution facility was announced for the Moore Airfield Base in Edinburg, Texas, to be completed by the end of the year. Now, $750 million in federal funding is planned for a domestic sterile fly production facility at the airbase. This facility will have the capability of producing 300 million flies per week.
Another $100 million was allocated to find cutting-edge technologies to help combat the spread of NWS.
Rollins made the announcement along with Texas Governor Greg Abbott at a press conference in Austin.
“We will continue to take all the necessary steps across the entirety of the federal government, working alongside our partners at the state government, and in the local governments, to ensure that we keep this pest — this parasite, and others like it — out of our country that threaten our economy and our way of life,” said Rollins.
Currently, the only sterile fly facility in the world is in Pacora, Panama, and is producing 115 million flies per week.
AGRICULTURE INDSUTRY SUPPORTS ANNOUNCEMENT
“Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association cannot overstate the significance of funding a domestic sterile fly production facility. Thank you to Secretary Rollins and the Trump administration for spearheading this effort, and thank you Governor Abbott and the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team for continually positioning Texas for success against the threat of NWS,” said Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Carl Ray Polk Jr.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) showed their continued support of the federal efforts as well. “American cattle producers commend President Trump and Secretary Rollins for their swift action in combatting the spread of New World screwworm. Their leadership and diligence, along with USDA’s collaboration with Texas in building sterile fly production and distribution facilities at Moore Air Base, marks a critical step in stopping the spread of screwworm and protecting the American cattle herd,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “Today’s announcement of rapid construction of sterile fly facilities that will boost weekly output of flies to more than 300 million, is vital news for U.S. cattle producers. Producing flies domestically under American oversight will overcome supply challenges in Mexico and Central America, strengthening our fight against New World screwworm and protecting herds on both sides of the border.”
NWS was pushed out of the U.S. and in 1966 the U.S. was declared free of the pest. Building a barrier at the Darien Gap between Columbia and Panama had been important to keeping NWS out of North America. In July 2023 cases of NWS started moving north in southern Central America, jumping that gap, and since then have continued north to Mexico. The most recent case was found July 8, 2025, near Veracruz, Mexico, about 370 miles south of the U.S. border. This led to the most recent border closure to trade of live cattle, horses and bison from Mexico to the U.S. by Rollins.
“TSCRA has long drawn attention to the critical need for increased numbers of sterile flies to push NWS populations back to the Darien Gap. A sterile fly production facility is a warranted investment given the financial consequences to our agricultural economy, wildlife populations and public health,” said Polk.
The other $100 million was allocated to find cutting-edge technologies to help with the response to combat the spread of NWS. In addition, USDA will ramp up surveillance efforts at the border by training members of the beagle brigade to detect NWS infections and hiring mounted USDA patrol officers. Rollins said they will also continue to work closely with Mexican officials to stop the spread of the pest.
NWS ATTACKS LIVE TISSUE
NWS is a preventable and treatable animal disease according to Cody Egnor, veterinary medical officer with USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). “The NWS only feeds on living tissue of warm-blooded animals, and the current outbreak is in Central America and Mexico,” he said in an industry webinar recently.
The life cycle of the NWS is as fast as 21 days from when the female lays eggs through hatching and the maggot falling to the ground to pupate and start the cycle all over again according to Egnor. “Female flies deposit eggs in wounds as small as tick bites or even the mucus membranes of the nose, ears, eyes, anus, genitalia, or umbilicus,” he said. “This is not a contagious disease, but humans could have eggs laid in wounds if they are not covered and in contact with the flies.”
Morbidity from NWS can happen from a secondary bacteria and he mentioned an untreated animal infested with NWS through a wound will die within two weeks without treatment. He also said nearly 100% of the newborn animals in the areas where NWS is found will die in the environment.
Joanna Davis, veterinary services field operations with APHIS said any producer who thinks they may be dealing with NWS should contact their herd veterinarian immediately. This contact should be followed by a call to the state veterinarian. Using gloves for sample collection is important and the samples should be collected accurately for confirmation of the problem present. Davis also said don’t move the animal and get treatment through the help of the herd veterinarian. “We also recommend spraying down potentially infested areas with pesticides or insect sprays,” she said.
Preparing for fighting NWS is something both veterinarians stressed. Davis said having a good relationship with your herd veterinarian is important. Having good husbandry practices to narrow the timelines of recovering from birthing, dehorning, branding and castration more quickly and reducing the potential for problems with NWS. She also stressed using fly control options more often as well as having a clear movement and biosecurity plan.
“Hot temperatures and humid conditions are what NWS thrives in, so when we see a change in the season, we see less risk,” she added.
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DTN
