Story perspectives

Texas Deploys 300M Screwworm Flies, Grants Treatment EUA

6/19/2026

Summary

Story summary

Texas rescues are refusing intake from zones, warning shelters of euthanasia.
Governor Greg Abbott announced funding for fifteen positions after the Texas Animal Health Commission reported twelve screwworm cases Texas and New Mexico in June 2026.
Food and Drug Administration granted an Emergency Use Authorization for Nitenpyram tablets to treat dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, as Dept. of Agriculture will release screwworm flies for 300 million per week by 2027.

History

Historical Context

In the 1950s the USDA pioneered the sterile-insect technique, releasing over 94 billion sterile screwworm flies and declaring the United States free of the parasite by 1966. After the fly reappeared in southern Mexico in 2024, USDA inspectors confirmed three Texas cases in June 2026, prompting a renewed massive sterile-fly release to protect cattle.

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Story summary

Texas rescues are refusing intake from zones, warning shelters of euthanasia.
Governor Greg Abbott announced funding for fifteen positions after the Texas Animal Health Commission reported twelve screwworm cases Texas and New Mexico in June 2026.
Food and Drug Administration granted an Emergency Use Authorization for Nitenpyram tablets to treat dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, as Dept. of Agriculture will release screwworm flies for 300 million per week by 2027.

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