Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a statewide disaster on Monday to combat a threat that hasn’t even reached the state yet: the New World screwworm fly, a parasitic pest that poses a significant danger to livestock and wildlife.
The January 29, 2026 declaration creates a specialized response team to prevent the destructive parasite from crossing the border from Mexico, where it has been steadily moving northward. Despite the fly’s absence from U.S. territory, Abbott’s preemptive action allocates substantial resources toward keeping it at bay.
“Although the New World screwworm fly is not yet present in Texas or the U.S., its northward spread from Mexico toward the U.S. southern border poses a serious threat to Texas’ livestock industry and wildlife,” Abbott said in a statement. “State law authorizes me to act to prevent a threat of infestation that could cause severe damage to Texas property, and I will not wait for such harm to reach our livestock and wildlife.”
The declaration directs the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Animal Health Commission to form a joint Texas New World Screwworm Response Team. This team will coordinate prevention efforts among state, federal, and industry partners. Perhaps most ambitious is the $850 million plan that includes building a sterile male fly production facility near the border, capable of producing an astonishing 300 million flies weekly — a proven method to crash reproductive cycles in pest populations when released into the wild, according to reports.
Why screwworms matter
What exactly makes these flies so concerning? New World screwworms are parasites that lay eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals. Once hatched, the larvae feed on living tissue, causing severe damage and potentially death if untreated. The pest was eradicated from the United States in 1966 after a massive campaign, but its potential return has agriculture officials on high alert.
The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association quickly endorsed the governor’s move. “Today’s announcement positions our state to respond appropriately, allowing the Texas Animal Health Commission and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to utilize all available state government resources necessary to combat the pest,” the association stated. “Gov. Abbott understands the importance of protecting the U.S. beef supply and it’s clear he is committed to pushing New World screwworm back to the Darién Gap, a milestone Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association continues to prioritize.”
The proactive declaration doesn’t come without questions. Critics might wonder about the timing and scale of resources being committed to a threat that hasn’t materialized. Yet agricultural experts point to the devastating economic consequences should the pest establish itself in Texas, potentially costing billions in livestock losses and control measures.
According to the official news page from the governor’s office, the disaster declaration will equip the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team with comprehensive prevention resources. The proclamation specifically enables full utilization of state government prevention and response capabilities.
“With this statewide disaster declaration, the Texas NWS Response Team can fully utilize all state government prevention and response resources to prevent the re-emergence of this destructive parasite,” Abbott emphasized. “Texas is prepared to fully eradicate this pest if need be.”
For Texas ranchers and wildlife managers, the declaration represents a rare instance of getting ahead of a problem rather than reacting to it — an $850 million insurance policy against a tiny fly with outsized destructive potential.
