The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the release of two New World screwworm (NWS) infested zones in Texas in yet another victory against the feared pest. The most recent development in the battle to control the spread of NWS marks the first NWS-infested zones to be released and cleared in Texas since the first case was detected in the state in June.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) approved the release of the two infested zones in Texas, following concurrence from Texas’s State Veterinarian, Dr. Bud Dinges, and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).
The two released zones include portions of La Salle and Webb counties that comprise Zone 2, and portions of Gillespie, Kerr, and Kimble counties that comprise Zone 3. The zones released from restrictions related to the NWS infestation met the requirements set forth in the APHIS New World Screwworm Response Playbook.
The requirements for release include demonstrating that an infested zone is free of NWS infestation through comprehensive surveillance. Surveillance methods include fly trapping, assessing sterile fly dispersal, and results from visual inspections of animals within the zone.
Since the first detection of the NWS in the United States in decades, the active cases have dropped significantly. In the current battle against NWS, 30 cases were detected in June, most of which occurred in Texas. The total number of detections was more than halved to 14 in July. That total dropped significantly to 3 cases in August. According to the APHIS NWS dashboard, there are only 2 active cases in the United States as of Tuesday.
As reported by Breitbart, in early August, the United States announced plans to begin a phased reopening of cattle imports from Mexico after significant headway in the battle against NWS. On August 24, 2026, the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry opened the cross-border cattle trade, ahead of planned reopenings at New Mexico ports of entry.
USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins commented on the latest milestone reached in the NWS battle, saying, “The Texas Animal Health Commission has been an outstanding partner throughout our response to New World screwworm. Their vigilance, on‑the‑ground expertise, and unwavering commitment to protecting livestock and wildlife have been essential to our shared success.”
The USDA’s approach to combating the spread of the NWS includes intensive monitoring of livestock and wildlife and increasing the production and release of sterile male flies across areas where the pest has been detected or is likely to migrate. The strategy is a tried-and-true method employed during earlier outbreaks, which resulted in the pest’s eradication in 1966.
The USDA is heavily invested in NWS sterile fly production facilities in Panama and Mexico. The agency is currently partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct an additional facility in South Texas to produce the sterile flies. Once completed, the Texas facility will be the only U.S-based NWS sterile fly production facility.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.