On Feb. 9, USDA announced the completion of a New World screwworm sterile fly dispersal facility in Edinburg, TX.
The facility will expand the department’s ability to disperse flies along the border and into the U.S., if necessary.
“This new facility is a monumental achievement for our domestic preparedness efforts, but we are also diligently working to stop the spread of screwworm in Mexico, conduct extensive trapping and surveillance along the border, increase U.S. response capacity, and encourage innovative solutions,” said USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins.
The facility has a projected capacity of 300 million sterile flies per week.
Last June, USDA unveiled a five-pronged plan to combat the New World screwworm, which included plans to build a dispersal facility in Texas.
On Jan. 30, USDA announced it would shift its aircraft and fly dispersal efforts to reinforce coverage along the border, 50 miles into Texas.
