Abbott pushes to speed up Edinburg screwworm facility after second Texas case confirmed

Gov. Greg Abbott is pushing to accelerate construction of a sterile fly production facility in Edinburg after federal officials confirmed a second case of New World screwworm in Texas.

Speaking Friday in Austin, Abbott said he wants the facility completed by May 2027 — six months earlier than its currently scheduled opening — as state and federal officials work to contain the pest’s spread.

“Here is the reality of this cycle. This is likely to spread over the course of the summer,” Abbott said. “We can’t make it through a second summer. So I am pushing for the facility in the state of Texas, under construction right now, to be completed by May of next year, as opposed to November of next year.”

The announcement came hours after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed a second New World screwworm case in Zavala County.

According to USDA, the latest case was found in a one-month-old calf about 5.6 miles from where the first U.S. detection was confirmed earlier this week.

Federal officials said both cases fall within an existing movement control zone and sterile-fly dispersal area already established in response to the initial detection.

Abbott expanded a statewide disaster declaration Friday, authorizing state agencies to redirect personnel and resources to support screwworm response efforts. The order specifically allows agencies to help accelerate sterile fly shipments into Texas and speed construction of the Edinburg facility.

The USDA is building a sterile fly production center at Moore Air Base in Edinburg capable of producing up to 300 million sterile flies per week.

Scientists consider sterile fly releases the most effective tool for eradicating screwworm outbreaks. The technique works by releasing sterile male flies that mate with females, preventing reproduction and gradually collapsing the population.

Currently, the only active sterile fly production facility is located in Panama.

Federal officials are also preparing to open a sterile fly facility in Metapa, Mexico later this month.

USDA officials said they have already released more than 130 million sterile flies in Texas since January and began aerial releases over the Zavala County infestation zone this week.

The agency is now dispersing 4 million sterile flies per week over the affected area while maintaining quarantines, movement controls and expanded surveillance.

The latest detection comes two days after the first U.S. screwworm case was confirmed in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County.

Federal officials said surveillance teams remain on the ground and additional suspect cases collected from the area have tested negative.

The flesh-eating parasite poses a significant threat to livestock, wildlife and pets. USDA estimates a widespread outbreak could cause as much as $1.8 billion in economic damage to Texas.

For Rio Grande Valley leaders, the renewed urgency around the Edinburg facility underscores the region’s growing role in the national response to one of agriculture’s most serious threats.