Story perspectives

USDA Pours $1 B to Fight Texas Screwworm Surge

6/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will spend over $1 billion to produce up to 300 million sterile male screwworm flies weekly for eradication.
USDA confirmed twelve screwworm infestations, eleven in Texas and one in New Mexico.
Governor Greg Abbott declared a disaster for all 254 Texas counties and set 12-mile quarantine zones around each case.
Scientists link the northward spread to warmer, more humid conditions expanding the fly’s habitat.

History

Historical Context

In 1958 the USDA, guided by entomologists Edward Knipling and Raymond Bushland, launched the sterile-insect technique that eliminated screwworm from the southern United States by 1966 after releasing more than 94 billion sterile flies. Decades later, a 2026 Texas outbreak prompted the agency to resume massive releases—hundreds of millions of flies weekly—to protect livestock and trade.

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Story summary

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will spend over $1 billion to produce up to 300 million sterile male screwworm flies weekly for eradication.
USDA confirmed twelve screwworm infestations, eleven in Texas and one in New Mexico.
Governor Greg Abbott declared a disaster for all 254 Texas counties and set 12-mile quarantine zones around each case.
Scientists link the northward spread to warmer, more humid conditions expanding the fly’s habitat.

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