AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday issued a statewide disaster declaration aimed at preventing the potential spread of the New World screwworm fly into Texas, citing concerns about the threat it poses to livestock and wildlife.
State officials say the New World screwworm, which is not currently present in Texas or elsewhere in the United States, has been moving north from Mexico toward the U.S. southern border. The parasite is known for infesting wounds in animals, causing severe injury and, in some cases, death if left untreated.
“Although the New World screwworm fly is not yet present in Texas or the U.S., its northward spread from Mexico toward the U.S. southern border poses a serious threat to Texas’ livestock industry and wildlife,” Abbott said in a statement. “State law authorizes me to act to prevent a threat of infestation that could cause severe damage to Texas property, and I will not wait for such harm to reach our livestock and wildlife.”
The disaster declaration allows the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team to fully deploy state prevention and response resources in an effort to stop the parasite from entering or spreading within Texas.
As part of the state’s preemptive response, Abbott directed the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Animal Health Commission to establish a joint response team focused on surveillance, prevention and rapid eradication if the pest is detected.
The governor has also partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to establish a $750 million Domestic Sterile New World Screwworm Production Facility in Edinburg, Texas. The facility is intended to support eradication efforts by producing sterile flies, a method historically used to control screwworm populations.
State officials say the declaration ensures Texas is prepared to act quickly to protect its agricultural economy, livestock producers and wildlife populations if the screwworm threat escalates.
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