As of June 19, officials had confirmed 12 New World screwworm cases in the United States, including 11 in Texas and one in New Mexico. The USDA said the funding will support new technologies aimed at improving detection, treatment and eradication efforts. What is the New World screwworm? The N ew World screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on living tissue in animals. The pest can cause severe injuries and economic losses for livestock producers. The Grand Challenge On June 17, the USDA announced funding for 40 projects to help strengthen the response to the New World screwworm. The proposals were submitted through the USDA Grand Challenge, launched in January 2026. The initiative sought projects that could improve New World screwworm detection, control, and eradication. Priorities of the Grand Challenge focused on four key areas: Enhancing sterile NWS fly production, improving efficiency and capacity Developing new NWS traps and lures, modernizing detection and warning systems. Advancing therapeutics and treatments to improve animal health outcomes. The development of other tools to improve preparedness and response. The agency said it received 226 applications requesting about $664 million in funding. Several Texas universities were selected to receive a share of the approximately $105 million awarded nationwide. The USDA website lists: Texas AM AgriLife Research, Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and other Texas AM branches. Texas AM AgriLife Research Texas AM AgriLife is a major contributor to the Grand Challenge. One Department of Entomology project will focus on maximizing the effectiveness of sterile insects using electron-beam irradiation. Two projects related to therapeutics and treatment also received funding. One, led by the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, will examine the New World screwworm outbreak in Honduras. Another will focus on developing a nanomaterial-enabled dsRNA biopesticide at the Texas AM AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas. Four preparedness and response projects also received funding, including one that would use AI-enabled surveillance to improve detection efforts. A release from Texas AM AgriLife also mentions collaboration on additional projects, and a separate Grand Challenge project that explores electron beam technology as a potentially safer alternative to high-radioactivity cobalt-60 gamma sterilization. Texas Tech Texas Tech University is investigating an innovative approach to fly sterilization that would allow sterilized flies to carry a small amount of an insecticide called pyriproxyfen. This could reduce female flies’ ability to reproduce, bolstering overall suppression efforts, according to a statement from Texas Tech. The research team will also develop stations designed to bait the flies into inadvertently picking up the insecticide at “attraction stations” near livestock operations, and spreading it to other locations the flies may visit. University of Texas at Arlington 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, while targeting wild females responsible for spreading larvae. New World Screworm consumer Jun 11 What history teaches us about the screwworm outbreak and how to fight it Agriculture Jun 8 New flesh-eating screwworm cases found in Texas and beyond in a dog, goat and calf Agriculture Jun 8 Beef prices already at records as Texas confronts screwworm cases Agriculture Jun 8 What to know about the New World screwworm fly and its reappearance in the US Texas Border Sep 23, 2025 Mexico boosts controls on cattle after new screwworm case found near Texas border Texas leaders praised the funding awards, saying the projects will help Texas combat the New World screwworm and protect the state’s livestock industry. “Texas is no stranger to the New World screwworm threat and we are prepared to push this danger out of our state for good,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “These grants will empower Texans on the front lines to eradicate the screwworm and protect our livestock industry. I thank Secretary Rollins for her swift action on these awards and for her steadfast support as Texas brings this pest to its end.” ...read more read less