COMMISSIONER SID MILLER PRAISES SECRETARY ROLLINS’ BOLD PLAN TO COMBAT NEW WORLD SCREWWORM

 

COMMISSIONER SID MILLER PRAISES SECRETARY ROLLINS’ BOLD PLAN TO COMBAT NEW WORLD SCREWWORM

Sterile fly dispersal facility to be built in Texas as part of USDA’s five-prong plan

AUSTIN – Today, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller joined United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins and several elected officials at the Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. During the event, Rollins unveiled an $8.5 million initiative to construct a sterile New World Screwworm (NWS) dispersal facility in South Texas. This initiative is part of Secretary Rollins' five-pronged strategy to strengthen USDA’s current capabilities to detect, control, and eradicate this pest.

The NWS is a destructive parasite recently detected as far north as Mexico. It threatens Texas agriculture and targets livestock, wildlife, pets, and, in rare cases, humans. It targets warm-blooded animals, particularly livestock, laying eggs in open wounds where larvae consume living tissue. Without treatment, infestations lead to livestock and wildlife suffering and loss. This means significant financial setbacks and negative impacts on herd health and population for Texas ranchers. An outbreak could weaken the cattle industry, disrupt trade, and strain rural economies reliant on agriculture.

“Secretary Rollins’ plan highlights the significance of prevention, early detection, rapid response, and ongoing coordination," stated Commissioner 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."

“The United States has defeated NWS before and we will do it again,” said Secretary Rollins. “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.”

Key Facets of USDA’s Five-Pronged Plan to Address New World Screwworm 

Stop the Pest from Spreading in Mexico and Ensure We Are Full Partners in Eradication 

1. USDA’s recent $21 million expenditure went toward renovating an existing fruit fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico, which will provide an additional 60-100 million sterile flies a week to stop the spread, on top of the over 100 million already produced in Panama.  This will result in at least 160 million flies per week.

2. USDA’s recent $21 million expenditure went toward renovating an existing fruit fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico, which will provide an additional 60-100 million sterile flies a week to stop the spread, on top of the over 100 million already produced in Panama.  This will result in at least 160 million flies per week. Over the last two weeks, USDA conducted a robust, in-person audit of Mexico’s animal health controls and will maintain close continual monitoring of these aspects moving forward and will make continuous improvements. These in-person visits have allowed a unique opportunity for APHIS to see first-hand the challenges and opportunities in Mexico toward combating NWS. 

3. USDA is working closely with Mexico to improve its surveillance and detection of NWS which includes, but is not limited to, regularly providing traps, lures, and technical expertise to Mexico. 

Protect The U.S. Border at All Costs 

1. USDA will support Mexico’s strategic trapping along our shared border and in Mexico and ensure we receive regular reporting as an early warning intervention.  

2. USDA will escalate communications and public outreach along the U.S.-Mexico border to create a “barrier zone of vigilance” and boost as close to real time as possible awareness of this pest.  

3. APHIS cattle fever tick riders in collaboration with U.S. Customs & Border Protection and with state partners will intercept and treat stray and illegally introduced livestock.  

Maximize Our Readiness 

1. USDA will partner with state animal health officials to update and finalize emergency management plans and support federal, state, and local responders in training on and practicing for a potential response. 

2. USDA will ensure we have sufficient NWS treatments and will work to remove any federal regulatory hurdles for their use.  

Take the Fight to the Screwworm 

1. Because sterile NWS flies are one of the most important and proven tools we have for eradicating the pest, USDA will immediately begin building a sterile insect dispersal facility at Moore Air Base, set to be completed in 2025. This facility will have the capability to disperse sterile flies in Northern Mexico. 

2. USDA is exploring all options to eradicate NWS, which includes potential expenditures in new technologies, new science, including possible plans to move forward with the design process of a domestic sterile fly production facility to complement the new dispersal facility at Moore Air Base, which has also been identified as the proposed location. The facility could boost domestic sterile fly production by up to 300 million flies per week and could complement current production that already exists in Panama and Mexico.  

Innovate Our Way to Eradication  

1. USDA is pursuing innovative research to improve sterile insect technology, exploring development of better traps and lures, exploring next generation NWS treatments, and assessing the potential use and practicality of additional strains or genetically modified versions of the pest as well as e-beam and other radiation technology for the production of sterile flies.   

2. USDA will strengthen partnerships with land-grant universities in border states such as Texas, Arizona and New Mexico to facilitate local training, trap deployment, surveillance validation, and stakeholder outreach as an initial manner.  

“I’m proud to partner with decisive leaders such as USDA Secretary Rollins and our Texas congressional delegation in combating the New World Screwworm,” Commissioner Miller stated. “This is a significant threat, and it’s critical we stay ahead of it. Texas has historically been at the forefront of American agriculture, and we are prepared to assist Secretary Rollins and the USDA in protecting our livestock, economy, and food supply.”

USDA’s press release can be found here.