As the New World Screwworm fly continued to spread throughout cattle and wildlife in Central America and into Mexico last year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster declaration Jan. 29 authorizing the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team to utilize prevention and response resources provided by the state to prevent the NWS epidemic from crossing the Texas border.
“I will not wait for such harm to reach our livestock and wildlife,” Abbott said in an NWS public press release.
In this preemptive action, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Animal Health Commission were directed to establish a joint NWS response team for the state. Abbott has also authorized the state to partner with the USDA to develop a $750 million facility in Edinburg that will produce 300 million sterile male screwworm flies. The sterile males will then be released into the wild each week to mate with female screwworms, which only mate once in their lifecycle, helping control the spread. On Feb. 9 the USDA announced the completion of the facility.
