REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- An update from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, while holding a news conference in Texas, confirmed the fifth case of New World screwworm (NWS). This time it was in a goat in Gillespie County.

Texas Animal Health Commission Executive Director Bud Dinges said the newest case in the goat isn't completely adding up, as it is farther north. But he said his department has a diagnostician headed to the location to investigate.

"We are continuing to make progress," Rollins said on Monday. "These developments obviously represent a serious threat to our livestock and wildlife, but they haven't caught us off guard. We have been tracking this pest for a long time, and we have fought (it) before, so we will do it again."

Rollins said the biggest need is for more sterile flies to combat the pest. Earlier in 2026, a sterile NWS fly dispersal facility was opened in Edinburg, Texas. The sterile fly production facility at the same location on the Moore Air Base is expected to open later next year.

Meanwhile, an NWS sterile fly production facility is expected to come online this month in Matapa, Mexico, which will produce 100 million sterile flies by the end of 2026. That, added to the 100 million already produced in Panama, will bring more flies to the fight.

NEW TECHNOLOGY ANNOUNCED FOR FIGHT

USDA Under Secretary of Research, Education and Economics Scott Hutchins announced the development of a tool to help with the NWS fight. The use of the sterile fly technique dates to the 1950s. The Agricultural Research Service and collaborators have developed a novel fly strain; they refer to as "Novo Fly."

"It's going to allow us to almost instantaneously double the number of sterile flies we put in the fight because it's going to allow us to produce only male sterile flies," Hutchins said.

Currently, a plant producing sterile flies generates 50% each of males and females, but the sterile females are not useful. By going to 100% sterile males, it doubles production.

"It's going to give us a tremendous edge in that regard, but it's not all that we're doing," Hutchins added. "We have a number of other activities going on, as well. We have a very aggressive effort to discover the very specific attraction that the screwworm female zeros in on."

By knowing what the fly is attracted to, the hope is to use that in traps to contain the female NWS flies. This is also planned to be used in newly improved screwworm adult suppression systems to lure the flies into insecticide and kill them.

NEW NWS ADVISER ANNOUNCED

Rollins introduced John Bellinger as the new senior adviser for New World screwworm preparedness. He will work specifically with the USDA team to further explore technologies to combat NWS and enhance the current methods.

"I'm old enough to remember doctoring calves in the 1960s with this problem," Bellinger said. "New World Screwworm presents unique challenges to America's ranchers, and Secretary Rollins has taken dramatic steps to work on building up our domestic response to this pest. USDA is responding in real time and building up long-term capabilities to push back New World screwworm beyond our borders and past the Darien Gap."

Rear Admiral Michael Schmoyer, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) associate administrator and director of the NWS Directorate, said a trial is being conducted to determine the efficacy of ivermectin and other products as a feed additive to prevent the spread of NWS, especially in wildlife.

Schmoyer stressed the importance of the connection between USDA, the Texas Animal Health Commission and the Texas Parks and Wildlife to help combat the pest.

"This is something that is detectable," he said. "This is something that is preventable. This is something that is treatable. The best thing you can do is put your eyes on your animals. We need you to keep working with the systems in Texas to let us know where those cases are."

Schmoyer said the agencies cannot do their part to release sterile flies in the proper areas, trap flies and provide surveillance if the public doesn't do their part to report any suspected cases that are found.

Dinges said they want animals to move safely after being inspected and treated, if needed, and have the proper documentation. Any animal suspected of having an NWS case should not be moved, and a veterinarian should provide immediate inspection.

Bellenger concluded: "You know the simplicity of this is, if you don't report, the flies are going to proliferate. They're going to grow. If you report, we only have so many flies to drop. You're going to get priority on those flies. So, it's to your economic benefit to tell us what's going on."

For more DTN coverage of the New World screwworm threat and the response by the government and livestock industry, visit our Spotlight on New World Screwworm page at https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

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