US Opens New Sterile Fly Dispersal Center in Texas to Block Screwworm Parasite

The facility will help disperse sterile male screwworm flies to prevent the flesh-eating parasite from crossing the Mexico border.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has opened a new center in southern Texas to disperse sterile male New World screwworm flies, part of a larger effort to keep the flesh-eating parasite they spawn from crossing the Mexican border and impacting the American cattle industry. The facility will work alongside a new $750 million fly breeding factory being built nearby, as well as a converted facility in Mexico, to produce and release millions of sterile male flies to mate with wild females and prevent their eggs from hatching into the destructive maggots.

Why it matters

The New World screwworm fly and its larvae pose a major threat to livestock, wild mammals, household pets, and even humans, as the maggots can infest open wounds and mucous membranes. This new center in Texas is a critical part of the U.S. government's strategy to prevent the parasite from re-establishing itself in the country after it was largely eradicated by the 1970s.

The details

The new center, located on a former Air Force base near Edinburg, Texas, will allow the U.S. to disperse sterile male screwworm flies bred in Mexico or Panama on both sides of the border. This is a stopgap measure until a new $750 million fly breeding factory is completed in Texas by the end of 2027. The USDA is also converting a fruit fly breeding facility in southern Mexico into one for screwworm flies starting this summer.

  • The new Texas center opened on Monday, February 9, 2026.
  • Construction on the new $750 million fly breeding factory in Texas is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
  • The USDA is converting a fruit fly breeding facility in southern Mexico into a screwworm fly breeding facility starting this summer.

The players

Brooke Rollins

U.S. Agriculture Secretary.

Greg Abbott

Governor of Texas.

New World Screwworm Fly

A flesh-eating parasite whose larvae can infest livestock, wild mammals, household pets, and even humans.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

The federal agency overseeing the new sterile fly dispersal center and other efforts to combat the screwworm parasite.

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What they’re saying

“It's a real testament to the all hands on deck — federal state and local — the fact that we do not have the pest in our country yet.”

— Brooke Rollins, U.S. Agriculture Secretary (kob.com)

“We knew we needed a short-term, gap-filling solution, which is exactly what we are cutting a ribbon on today.”

— Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas (kob.com)

What’s next

The USDA is offering up to $100 million in grants for projects designed to improve fly breeding, create new fly traps and lures, and produce treatments for infestations.

The takeaway

This new sterile fly dispersal center in Texas is a critical part of the U.S. government's multi-pronged strategy to prevent the destructive New World screwworm parasite from re-establishing itself in the country after it was largely eradicated decades ago, protecting the American cattle industry and public health.