U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has identified rapid-deployment technologies—such as modular sterile fly units—as vital to bridging production gaps while a new $750 million domestic facility is built to combat the New World Screwworm.
New World Screwworm (NWS), Cochliomyia hominivorax
August 15, 2025
Image Details
Top: Lateral view of a Cochliomyia hominivorax larva showing the segmented body with bands of backward-projecting spines that help anchor the larva while feeding.
Bottom left panel: Close-up of the posterior end showing paired posterior spiracles surrounded by a sclerotized peritreme, which maintains the spiracle opening for gas exchange while the larva is buried in host tissue.
Bottom right panel:Close-up of the head showing darkly sclerotized mouth hooks used to rasp tissue during feeding.
The New World Screwworm (NWS), Cochliomyia hominivorax, is a parasitic fly capable of causing devastating animal health, economic, and ecological impacts. Female flies lay eggs near wounds or body openings of warm-blooded animals. When larvae hatch, they feed on living tissue, causing severe damage, secondary infections, and, in untreated cases, death.
Historically, the United States eradicated NWS in 1966 through an ambitious program combining sterile insect technique (SIT), surveillance, and livestock management. That program’s success relied on sustained production of sterile flies at scale and close cross-border cooperation. Today, that success is at risk as NWS spreads northward from Latin America.
Current Outbreak Status
Cases of New World Screwworm (NWS) are surging in Mexico and Central America, with thousands confirmed across multiple states, including recent detections in Veracruz and Oaxaca. The pest is now just 370 miles south of the U.S.–Mexico border and 160 miles north of the sterile fly barrier—evidence of animal-assisted movement. Experts warn that prevailing winds, livestock transport, and natural fly dispersal could carry NWS into the southern United States within a single breeding cycle, posing an imminent threat to livestock producers, wildlife managers, and veterinarians.
International experience underscores that once established, NWS spreads rapidly. Every delay in containment increases the size and cost of eventual eradication.
The Production Challenge
The Sterile Insect Technique—the foundation of eradication—relies on flooding the environment with lab-reared, sterilized flies. These sterile flies mate with wild females, producing no viable offspring and collapsing the pest population over time.
However, the effectiveness of SIT is tied directly to production capacity. If too few sterile males are released relative to the wild population, suppression fails.
USDA Goes All In: Permanent Facilities Plus Modular Innovation
Current and Projected Sterile Fly Capacity
| Facility / Component | Current Output (million / week) | Planned / Potential Output (million / week) | Earliest Availability (years from mid-2025) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COPEG, Panama | ≈ 100 | 0 (facility already at maximum) | 0 | Only active source of sterile NWS flies today |
| Metapa, Mexico (retrofit) | 0 | 50 – 100 | 1 – 1.5 yrs | $21 M retrofit; completion expected 2026 |
| Moore AFB, Texas (dispersal hub) | 0 (no production) | 0 | 0 | Logistics / release only – adds no flies |
| U.S. Domestic Plant – Edinburg, Texas | 0 | ≥ 300 (design target) | ~1 yr (fast-tracked) | $750 M federal investment; triples current global output; creates ~300 jobs; reduces reliance on Panama/Mexico; existing infrastructure at Moore AFB could accelerate build-out |
| Total Available Today | ≈ 100 | — | — | — |
| Projected Total by 2026 | ≈ 100 + 50–100 (Metapa) + ≥300 (Edinburg) | — | — | — |
| Required for Containment / Eradication | — | 350 – 800 | — | Expert consensus range |
| Shortfall Today | — | — | — | 250 – 700 M / week |
| Shortfall Post-Metapa | — | — | — | 150 – 650 M / week |
| Shortfall Post-Edinburg | — | — | — | Potentially eliminated if ≥300 M/week capacity is achieved on schedule |
In a landmark announcement, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Texas Governor Greg Abbott unveiled a $750 million federal investment to construct a domestic sterile fly production facility in Edinburg, Texas, located about 20 miles from the southern border. This strategically placed facility will complement the dispersal site, dramatically strengthening the nation’s ability to stop the northward spread of the New World Screwworm (NWS). When completed, the Edinburg plant is slated to produce 300 million sterile screwworm flies per week, tripling current output.
Secretary Rollins emphasized that the development of the $750 million facility is, “… a tactical move that ensures we are prepared and not just reactive, which is to date what we have really been working through.”
Alongside this long-term infrastructure, USDA is launching up to $100 million in public–private innovation funding to accelerate the fight against NWS while the Edinburg plant is under construction. This program will support a wide range of advancements—from surveillance tools to deployment-ready control methods. As Rollins put it:
“From novel traps and lures to modular sterile fly units, I am calling on the brightest minds in the country to build on our existing tools and help us outpace this pest quickly.” — Secretary Brooke Rollins
This two-pronged strategy directly reflects repeated feedback from producers and agricultural leaders during stakeholder calls, where an “all-of-the-above” approach was urged—combining permanent infrastructure for sustained output with rapid-deployment technologies to bridge capacity gaps.
M3’s Modular Approach: Bridging the Gap
M3 Agriculture Technologies has developed a Modular SIT platform that fits squarely into USDA’s vision. Unlike large, fixed-location facilities, M3’s modular systems can be deployed in weeks, not years, producing sterile flies directly in or near outbreak zones. This approach not only reduces transportation costs and transit-related fly stress, but also offers the operational agility needed to respond to shifting outbreak fronts.
Key advantages include:
- Scalability – Units can be added or removed depending on outbreak size and urgency.
- Speed – Achieves operational readiness in weeks.
- Flexibility – Effective across diverse climates and geographies.
- Integration – Serves as surge capacity alongside permanent facilities.
M3’s proposal outlines a phased rollout. Initial modular units would be positioned close to the current outbreak zone in Mexico, responding with rapid sterile fly production capacity. Once the permanent Edinburg facility becomes operational, these mobile units could be repositioned to other high-risk regions along the U.S. border or deployed internationally to address nascent outbreaks.
Closing the Capacity Gap Now
The return of the New World Screwworm represents a serious public health and economic threat to livestock, wildlife, pets, and rural economies. Proven tools—Sterile Insect Technique, targeted veterinary treatments, and Integrated Pest Management—can stop it, but time remains the most critical factor.
Every week lost in scaling up sterile fly production and expanding surveillance raises eradication costs and deepens the toll on animals and communities. USDA’s recent actions are a decisive and positive first step in what will be a long, coordinated fight. Producers, veterinarians, wildlife managers, and pet owners are on the front line—detecting cases, initiating treatment, and working with state and federal teams to contain the pest.
History has shown that science-driven, cooperative action can push NWS back—North America has done it before. With the permanent production capacity from Edinburg and rapid-deployment innovations like M3’s modular SIT, the U.S. is now positioned to act faster, hit harder, and win this fight.
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