As of June 19, officials confirmed 12 New World screwworm cases in the United States, with 11 in Texas and one in New Mexico. The USDA announced funding for 40 projects to strengthen the response to the New World screwworm, including several Texas universities.

Texas Universities Receive Funding

Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and other Texas institutions will receive a share of the approximately $105 million awarded nationwide. The funding will support new technologies aimed at improving detection, treatment, and eradication efforts.

The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on living tissue in animals, causing severe injuries and economic losses for livestock producers. Texas A&M AgriLife is a major contributor to the Grand Challenge, with projects focusing on maximizing the effectiveness of sterile insects using electron-beam irradiation and developing a nanomaterial-enabled dsRNA biopesticide.

Texas Tech University is investigating an innovative approach to fly sterilization, allowing sterilized flies to carry a small amount of an insecticide called pyriproxyfen. The University of Texas at Arlington will use its funding to develop a smart trap that uses AI to distinguish between wild and sterile flies, targeting wild females responsible for spreading larvae.

State Response

Texas leaders praised the funding awards, saying the projects will help Texas combat the New World screwworm and protect the state’s livestock industry. Governor Greg Abbott stated, ‘Texas is no stranger to the New World screwworm threat and we are prepared to push this danger out of our state for good.’

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.