Gov. Greg Abbott orders preemptive strike on screwworm in Texas

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McALLEN — Gov. Greg Abbott wants Texas to get serious about an invasive, parasitic fly that poses a serious threat to the state’s livestock and wildlife.

Abbott ordered the Texas Animal Health Commission and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to establish a Texas New World Screwworm Response Team to help coordinate and share information regarding efforts to stop the spread of the screwworm and prevent infections.

"The mission for the Response Team is clear: to lead Texas' prevention and response efforts and ensure that Texas remains informed, prepared, and aligned to prevent the re-emergence of this destructive parasite," Abbott said in a letter to the two state agencies.

The screwworm is a fly that lays its larvae open wounds of live, warm-blooded animals. Maggots burrow into the flesh, causing serious and potentially deadly damage to the animal.

The animal health commission and the parks and wildlife department will contribute to preparations for the possible spread of the fly and in the implementation of science-based strategies to combat screwworm, according to a spokesperson for the animal health commission.

The response team will be a clearinghouse for information, connecting potentially affected Texans such as private landowners, livestock producers, wildlife managers, researchers and agency partners, according to Stephanie Garcia, a press officer for Texas Parks and Wildlife.

“Texans can be assured that staff have been actively preparing and training for a possible New World screwworm response for over a year,” Dr. Lewis R. “Bud” Dinges, executive director for the animal health commission and state veterinarian, said in a news release. “While we hope we don’t have to deal with the pest on our soil, joint efforts to mitigate damage and protect all commodities from NWS are ongoing and will be bolstered by this well-rounded team.”

Screwworm was eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s, but it began moving north in 2022 and has now spread into Mexico.

In response to their movement northward, the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended live animal imports from Mexico, hoping to protect Texas' billion-dollar cattle industry.

The USDA is also injecting $21 million into a Mexican facility to produce sterile male flies meant to mate with fertile female flies to produce non-viable eggs, killing off the population.

Last week, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced an $8.5 million facility in Edinburg that will help disperse those sterile flies to where they're needed. The facility is part of a five-pronged plan by the USDA to try to stop the spread of the parasitic fly into Texas, make treatment available in case it does spread, and develop new ways to eradicate it.

“Excellent work has already been done by stakeholders, and state and federal agencies,” said Dr. David Yoskowitz, executive director of Texas Parks and Wildlife . “The charge of the response team is to work directly with landowners, livestock producers and the public. Both the Texas Animal Health Commission and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will bring forward all the resources and expertise at our disposal to ensure that we are prepared and can respond quickly and effectively.”

Members of Texas’ congressional delegation have also filed legislation to further develop strategies to combat screwworm.

U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, a Republican from Edinburg, filed a bill directing the USDA to conduct a study on strategies to fight screwworm outbreaks.

Additionally, U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico filed legislation to fund a facility that would produce and disperse sterile flies. U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of San Antonio filed a similar bill in the House.

“Combating the spread of the New World screwworm is critical to protecting the agriculture and livestock industry, and I am glad to see the creation of a Screwworm Response Team in Texas to support this effort,” Sen. John Cornyn said in a statement. “I will continue the fight in Washington to increase our sterile fly production capacity through my STOP Screwworms Act, and I thank Governor Abbott for directing state resources to our mission to crack down on this threat.”

Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.

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