WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., co-led a bipartisan letter with U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging a fully resourced, coordinated federal response to confirmed New World screwworm cases in Texas and New Mexico.
Schweikert asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide Congress with a clear accounting of sterile fly production and dispersal capacity, surveillance capabilities, treatment guidance, workforce needs and the resources needed to contain the outbreak.
“Arizona’s ranchers and veterinarians need clear guidance as federal agencies respond to confirmed New World screwworm cases in Texas and New Mexico,” said Schweikert. “I am asking USDA and HHS to provide Congress with a clear accounting of sterile fly production and dispersal capacity, surveillance capabilities, treatment guidance and the resources needed to contain this outbreak. Decades ago, the United States eradicated screwworm with sterile fly technology and aggressive field surveillance. Now we need to use those same tools, keep livestock producers informed and stop this outbreak from spreading.”
“New World screwworm has now reached New Mexico, putting our ranchers, livestock, wildlife, pets and rural economies at risk,” said Stansbury. “We successfully eradicated screwworm once before through sustained effort, scientific innovation and strong coordination across every level of government. To do so again, federal agencies must work together with Congress, and state, local and tribal governments to ensure that our response is fully resourced, rapid and well-coordinated. I stand ready to work with our federal, state and local partners to protect New Mexico’s communities, livestock industry and food supply.”
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the first U.S. New World screwworm case in a calf in Zavala County, Texas, on June 3. The outbreak has since spread to additional livestock cases in Texas and included a confirmed case in a pet dog in Lea County, New Mexico.
New World screwworm larvae burrow into living tissue, creating severe wounds that can threaten livestock, pets, wildlife and, in rare cases, people. The outbreak follows a sustained northward advance of New World screwworm through Central America and Mexico since 2023 and poses a serious threat to American livestock producers, rural communities and the nation’s food supply.
In the letter, Schweikert requested that USDA and HHS provide:
- A detailed accounting of current and planned sterile fly production and dispersal capacity, including timelines for any additional facilities or resources needed to address the spread of New World screwworm;
- An assessment of surveillance and monitoring capacity in at-risk states, and any additional resources required to expand it;
- Updated, clear guidance for livestock producers, veterinarians and the public on prevention, detection and treatment, including how producers can access USDA resources and support;
- A staffing and workforce assessment for APHIS and other agencies involved in the response;
- Regular updates to Congress on case counts, response activities and resource needs; and
- An estimate of additional resources, including any supplemental funding for local agriculture extension services, needed to fully resource the response.
“The United States successfully eradicated NWS once before, through decades of sustained effort and scientific ingenuity,” Schweikert, Stansbury and their colleagues wrote. “We are confident that with the full and coordinated mobilization of federal resources, we can do so again.”
The full letter can be read below: Dear Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy:
We write to express our deep concern regarding the confirmed detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in the United States for the first time in sixty years. Since USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the first case in a calf in Zavala County, Texas, on June 3, 2026, the outbreak has grown to twelve confirmed cases, including the first confirmed case in a pet dog in Lea County, New Mexico, last week. This spread, the result of a sustained northward advance of NWS through Central America and Mexico since 2023, represents a serious threat to American livestock producers, companion animals, wildlife, and our country’s food supply. We urge both Departments to ensure that the federal response is fully resourced, rapid, and well-coordinated in responding to this threat.
We recognize USDA’s completion of the sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, the investment of $21 million to expand production capacity in Mexico, and the deployment of sterile flies in South Texas and surrounding areas. We also commend the Food and Drug Administration for its emergency authorization of treatments for affected animals. The crossing of the NWS into U.S. territory is a threshold moment that demands a proportional escalation.
The federal response must reflect a true whole-of-government commitment. NWS
threatens a broad range of federal equities, including economic losses for livestock producers and potential infestations in wildlife and companion animals. While the current human risk remains low, the documented presence of the fly in the United States requires vigilance and clear public health guidance. We ask that USDA and HHS establish formal, ongoing coordination between APHIS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and relevant state agencies in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and other affected or at-risk states to ensure that surveillance, treatment guidance, and public communication are coordinated. Workforce capacity, including the institutional knowledge needed to manage this response effectively, should also be assessed, particularly given ongoing staffing pressures across federal agencies.
To ensure the response is fully resourced and proportional to the threat, we respectfully request that USDA provide our offices with the following:
- A detailed accounting of current and planned sterile fly production and dispersal capacity, including timelines for any additional facilities or resources needed to address the spread of NWS;
- An assessment of surveillance and monitoring capacity in at-risk states, and any additional resources required to expand it;
- Updated, clear guidance for livestock producers, veterinarians, and the public on NWS prevention, detection, and treatment, including how producers can access USDA resources and support;
- A staffing and workforce assessment for APHIS and other agencies involved in the NWS response, to ensure adequate personnel are in place to carry it out;
- Regular updates to Congress on case counts, response activities, and resource needs; and
- An estimate of additional resources, including any supplemental funding for local agriculture extension services, that would be needed to fully resource the response.
The United States successfully eradicated NWS once before, through decades of sustained effort and scientific ingenuity. We are confident that with the full and coordinated mobilization of federal resources, we can do so again.
We stand ready to work with both Departments, State governments, local extension services, and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that producers, veterinarians, and communities across the country have the support they need. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to your response.
