More than 30 cases of New World screwworm have been confirmed in the U.S. since the first confirmation June 3. As of July 2, USDA had verified 31 cases. Of those, 21 remain active. All known active cases are in southern and western Texas.
Screwworm cases also continue to rise south of the border. According to the most recent update from Mexico’s agriculture ministry, SENASICA, 1,944 NWS cases were confirmed as of June 30. USDA reported that 62 of those cases are less than 100 miles from the U.S. border.
More help on the way
On June 27, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins joined Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum in Metapa, Mexico, to celebrate the official opening of a new sterile fly production facility. USDA invested $21 million last year to help convert a fruit fly facility to sterile fly production. During her public remarks, Rollins praised Sheinbaum for her role in helping American officials complete the joint project.
“From the moment I met President Sheinbaum, I knew she understood and was fully focused, and would be such an extraordinary ally for the United States,” Rollins said. “And this plant, this inauguration ceremony today, is an example of how this alliance can work beautifully together.”
Sterile flies have long been considered the most effective tool to combat NWS. Sterile male flies mate with female flies, effectively eliminating the local screwworm population. Until now, North America’s only sterile fly production facility was in Pacora, Panama. That facility produces about 100,000 sterile flies per week.
The new facility in Mexico will initially produce about 28,000 flies per week. According to Rollins, production should ramp up to 50 million flies per week within 12 weeks. By year-end, the facility is expected to produce 100,000 million sterile flies weekly.
Work has also begun on a third sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base near Edinburg, Texas. It is expected to produce around 300,000 sterile flies per week when it opens in late 2027.