Texas Deploys Swormlure-5, Sterile Flies to Combat New World Screwworm

The New World screwworm (NWS), a flesh-eating parasite that affects all warm-blooded animals, is making a resurgence near the U.S.-Mexico border, prompting urgent action from Texas and federal agricultural authorities. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced the deployment of Swormlure-5, an enhanced synthetic bait that attracts and kills adult screwworm flies, aiming to reduce the fly population by up to 90%, in combination with the sterile insect technique (SIT) which releases sterile male flies to disrupt reproduction. The Texas Department of Agriculture is collaborating closely with the USDA, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, and Mexican officials to contain the pest, with plans underway to build a sterile fly production facility in Edinburg, Texas, though it will be years before it is fully operational. Experts from Texas A&M are drawing on their experience from Florida's 2016 screwworm outbreak to guide current surveillance and containment efforts, emphasizing early intervention to protect livestock, wildlife, and public health. The reemergence of NWS threatens billions of dollars in economic losses and poses risks to livestock, wildlife, pets, and humans, spurring a nationwide response beyond Texas. While SIT remains the cornerstone of eradication, the immediate use of Swormlure-5 bait represents a modernized, aggressive approach to quickly curb the advancing screwworm population.