Preparing for the Battle Continues: USDA Shares Screwworm Update and Releases NWS Playbook

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins shared a New World screwworm update on X Sunday night.

“First and most important — No new cases have been detected in the last seven days in Mexican states bordering the United States,” Rollins says. “USDA and our partners continue to lead an aggressive response to New World screwworm (NWS). This is a national security threat, and it has the full attention of the Trump administration.”

Updates Rollins shared included:

• Dispersing 100 million sterile flies per week in Mexico produced at the COPEG facility with more than 40 dispersal flights throughout Southern Mexico per week.
  “USDA closely monitors the locations of detections in Mexico and ensures shipments of sterile insects and release chambers are routed to the locations of the latest detections for dispersal,” she says.
• Inspecting wild or feral animals for NWS infestation as part of wildlife management activities in Texas, with more than 1,670 animals inspected to date.
• Working with Mexico on trapping and surveillance.
  “USDA staff have confirmed 7,885 total confirmed NWS cases in southern Mexico, an increase of 838 cases since Oct. 2,” Rollins reports. “There have been zero detections in border states since Oct. 5.”
• Construction update: The NWS Sterile Fly Dispersal Facility at Moore Air Base will open in early 2026. This facility will allow USDA to disperse 300 million sterile flies weekly at the border and in northern Mexico.
  

NWS Playbook Released

Rollins says on Friday USDA hosted a call with more than 200 state partners and stakeholders to release the new USDA NWS Response Playbook.

“This playbook reflects our current approach and response if we ever have a confirmed positive NWS in the USA,” Rollins explains. “We want our state and industry partners to continue to provide feedback on ways to make the playbook even stronger.”

Industry stakeholders can provide feedback and suggestions regarding the playbook to FAD.PReP.Comments@usda.gov.

Playbook Highlights

According the playbook, the phases of the response include:

1. Preparedness — planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating and taking corrective action to ensure effective coordination during an outbreak response.
2. Confirmation, or NWS establishment in the U.S. due to NWS myiasis in warm-blooded animals or detection of NWS fly.
3. Containment, or preventing the spread of NWS in early stages of infestation through measures such as early detection, quarantines and movement requirements, sterile insect technique (SIT) and surveillance to reduce spread in domestic animals and wildlife.
4. Mitigation, or minimizing the outbreak impact, by reducing the geographic extent of the affected area to reduce strain on resources, achieved largely through quarantines and movement requirements, SIT and surveillance, and constant evaluation of impacted areas.
5. Control, or demonstrating infestation is being mitigated based on epidemiology and surveillance.
6. Eradication, or demonstrating freedom from NWS in previously affected areas.

If NWS is found in the U.S., USDA APHIS Veterinary Services will provide guidance, support, resources and coordination during an outbreak. The approaches and tools included in the playbook reflect USDA APHIS guidance and aim to provide a practical framework to rapidly focus on priority activities. Tools and resources will be updated regularly as new guidance on NWS is released.

(USDA APHIS)

The playbook includes eight key response activities:

1. Effectively manage a coordinated response and communications with stakeholders and the public
2. Reduce spread to non-infested animals and prevent NWS from establishing in new areas
3. Manage NWS on infested premises
4. Implement NWS surveillance and management strategies in wildlife
5. Implement NWS fly surveillance and management strategies
6. Maintain continuity of business (COB)
7. Ensure information flow and management
8. Identify and maintain resource requirements

To learn more about the playbook, visit the New World Screwworm Emergency Response website.

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