In an X social media post dated Oct. 19, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins gave an update on New World screwworm (NWS) developments.
As of the post’s publication, no cases had been reported in the last week in Mexican states bordering the U.S. Rollins said USDA employees are in Mexico monitoring 350 collection sites in NWS-affected areas, along with 113 traps in the U.S. As of Oct. 19, 22,210 specimens had been tested with zero detections found in the U.S. USDA is dispersing 100 million sterile flies per week into Mexico.
Rollins also announced the NWS Sterile Fly Dispersal Facility at Moore Air Base will open in early 2026, which is set to allow the department to disperse 300 million sterile flies weekly at the border and in northern Mexico.
