USDA Facility Will Help Combat NWS
USDA Invests $8.5 Million in Texas Sterile Fly Facility to Combat Screwworm Threat at Southern Border
REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced Wednesday, that a U.S.-based sterile fly dispersal facility will be built at the Moore Airfield Base in South Texas to help combat the spread of New World screwworm (NWS).
The $8.5 million facility is part of a plan to enhance USDA's ability to detect, control and eliminate the pest.
"The United States has defeated NWS before and we will do it again," Rollins said in a press release. "We do not take lightly the threat NWS poses to our livestock industry, our economy, and our food supply chain. The United States government will use all resources at its disposal to push back NWS, and today's announcement of a domestic strategy to bolster our border defenses is just the beginning. We have the proven tools, strong domestic and international partnerships, and the grit needed to win this battle."
On May 11, imports of live cattle, bison and horses from Mexico were halted when the pest was found within 700 miles of the U.S. border. Previously, in November 2024, the border was closed when the first case of NWS was found in southern Mexico and reopened on Feb. 1, 2025.
ANNOUNCEMENT IS IMPORTANT TO PRODUCERS
"Today's announcement is pivotal in protecting the U.S. cattle industry," Stephen Diebel, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association first vice president said in a news release. "Sterile flies are the only known way to stop the reproduction and continued expansion of NWS, and it's assuring to see Sec. Rollins follow through her early commitments to increasing production of sterile flies domestically."
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Diebel said Texas cattle raisers are concerned about the pest and protecting the U.S. beef herd. He hopes this facility, along with the other investment by USDA can prevent the pest from entering this country.
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association also showed support for the announcement. "The only way to protect the American cattle herd from the devastating threat of New World screwworm is by having a sufficient supply of sterile flies to push this pest away from our border," said NCBA President Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattleman.
Currently, there is only one sterile fly production facility in the world, located in Panama. That facility can produce 117 million sterile flies per week, but nearly three times as many would be needed per week along the southern U.S. border. The proposed facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 and will be able to disperse sterile flies in Northern Mexico as needed.
According to the USDA release, exploration continues on new technologies and new science to eradicate NWS. Discussion has also begun on the possibility of building a domestic sterile fly production facility at the same location.
NWS CAN CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE
NWS are fly larvae that infest living tissue of warm-blooded animals, causing infection. According to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), these maggots will burrow into a wound, feeding as they go doing extensive damage by tearing the host's tissue with sharp mouth hooks. The wound becomes larger and deeper. NWS can cause serious, even deadly damage to the animal.
The adult screwworm flies are about the size of a common housefly with orange eyes, a metallic blue or green body, and three dark stripes along their backs.
Affected mammals and birds show signs of irritated behavior, head shaking, smell of decay, evidence of fly strike, and presence of fly larvae in wounds.
Since the NWS only mate once, releasing sterile males to mate with the females helps decline the population.
USDA eradicated NWS from the United States in 1966 using the sterile insect technique and it was used successfully again in 2016 in the southern Florida Keys when found in deer. This process continues to be used in Mexico and Latin America currently.
"Secretary Rollins' plan highlights the significance of prevention, early detection, rapid response, and ongoing coordination," said Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller. "These are all key steps in keeping the Screwworm under control while maintaining the health of our herds. I'm pleased we will have a dispersal facility in Texas capable of taking the necessary measures. We've faced this fight before, and we will prevail again."
See, "NWS Closer: Border Closed for Animals," https://www.dtnpf.com/…
Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com
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