New World Screwworm Response

1. Coordinating with Mexico and International Partners 

• USDA is conducting monthly audits of Mexico’s NWS response and is helping Mexico develop a more risk-based trapping plan, especially in Veracruz and along the border. Mexico currently deploys traps in high-risk areas such as feedlots and across border states, with USDA support. 

• USDA is also supporting Mexico’s hiring of over 500 surge staff for trapping and animal movement control. 

• SENASICA has launched a dashboard that tracks NWS cases across Mexico. This tool significantly enhances USDA’s ability to monitor the situation south of the border, better assess risk, and deliver more effective operational responses in coordination with Mexican authorities. 

2. Strengthening Surveillance and Detection 

• Since July 2025, USDA has been actively monitoring more than 100 NWS-specific traps and more than 8,000 insect traps across Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. 

• USDA has also bolstered wildlife surveillance efforts in partnership with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Since June 3, 2026, USDA has conducted over 1,000 drone surveillance flights in Texas, observing over 20,000 animals, and has monitored footage from over 130 trail cameras in Texas, observing nearly 17,000 animals. 

3. Enhancing Public Awareness and Education 

• USDA launched a dashboard that tracks U.S. cases and wild fly detections; we update this resource daily to ensure the public has access to validated information.  

• APHIS has published an updated national disease response strategy (925.21 KB) and an updated NWS response playbook, and is providing training and webinars for federal, state, Tribal, and veterinary partners. 

• Outreach materials, including pest ID cards and alerts, are being distributed along the U.S.–Mexico border. APHIS has held or attended hundreds of stakeholder meetings and continues to expand outreach efforts. 

• USDA has partnered with Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and Texas A&M AgriLife to develop an NWS Certified Inspector Program. Certified inspectors can conduct inspections and issue NWS Treatment/Movement Certificates for animals leaving an NWS-infested zone. 

4. Taking the Fight to the Screwworm 

• USDA continues to disperse 100 million sterile flies per week in Mexico and Texas, sourced from the COPEG facility in Panama. USDA provided $31 million to Mexico to renovate a production facility in Metapa, which is expected to produce an additional 100 million sterile flies. On June 27, USDA joined Mexico in inaugurating the new Metapa production facility.  

• USDA has completed construction of a domestic sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Air Force Base in Edinburg, Texas. This $8.5 million facility is now used to deploy more than 80 million sterile flies per week over Texas and Mexico.  

• Construction is also underway with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for construction of a domestic sterile fly production facility in Southern Texas; it will produce up to 100 million sterile NWS flies per week at initial operating capacity, with expansion to 300 million/week by late 2028.  

• USDA has a robust aerial dispersal plan to protect the U.S. Within 24 hours of the first domestic NWS detection in Texas USDA released sterile flies over the case and in 72 hours, planes were relocated to Texas to expand sterile fly coverage in the U.S. 

5. Innovating Our Way to Eradication 

• USDA announced funding for 40 breakthrough projects through the NWS Grand Challenge to bolster the nation’s defense against New World screwworm. These innovative proposals will receive a combined total of about $105 million, to fast-track cutting-edge detection, control, and eradication tools against NWS. 

• USDA also launched two Grand Challenge cooperative agreements in late 2025 to pilot the most promising sterile insect technique technologies. Texas A&M is testing electron-beam (eBeam) sterilization, while the University of Florida is evaluating next-generation X-ray irradiators. Results are expected before the end of 2026. 

• USDA developed a new strain of New World screwworm that yields only male screwworms for use in the sterile insect dispersal – since males are key to the process, NovoFly^TM will double the operational supply of sterile flies and substantially supercharge our eradication efforts.

Unprecedented Interagency Collaboration 

USDA is working in close partnership with the following Federal agencies to ensure a unified national response:  

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is leading human health surveillance and response, providing diagnostic support, educating healthcare providers, and coordinating One Health efforts across federal, state, and international partners.   
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to ensure veterinarians, farmers, and animal health officials have timely access to the tools they need to protect pets, livestock, and the nation’s food supply by authorizing the emergency use of certain animal drugs to treat or prevent NWS infestations. Since August of 2025, FDA has approved 11 Emergency Use Authorizations and 3 conditional approvals. Prior to FDA’s actions, there were no U.S. approved treatments for screwworm infestation. 
• Department of the Interior (DOI) is ensuring wildlife surveillance and environmental compliance, particularly on federal lands.  
• Department of Energy (DoE) is exploring and validating new sterilization technologies to enhance our ability to combat NWS.  
• Department of War (DoW) is monitoring cases in military personnel and working animals and coordinating with USDA on sterile fly releases near military installations.  
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is supporting surveillance, intelligence sharing, and emergency planning, including training Customs and Border Protection and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement personnel to identify and respond to NWS cases.  
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expediting pesticide approvals and supporting emergency exemptions.  
• Department of State (DoS) is leading diplomatic engagement to combat NWS by coordinating with host governments and interagency partners to share information, align technical assistance, and deliver consistent messaging.