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Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has issued a statewide disaster declaration in response to the continued northward spread of the New World screwworm, formally recognizing the parasite as an imminent threat to Texas livestock, wildlife, and the state economy. The declaration applies to all Texas counties.
Although the New World screwworm has not yet been detected inside Texas or elsewhere in the United States, state and federal officials have been closely monitoring confirmed cases in northern Mexico. Multiple infestations have been documented in Mexican states near the Texas border, including a confirmed case roughly seventy miles from the border in Nuevo León.
Governor Abbott made clear that the declaration is intended to prevent harm rather than respond after damage has occurred. He stated that state law authorizes him to act before an infestation reaches Texas and that waiting until livestock and wildlife are affected would be irresponsible given the scale of potential losses.
New World Screwworm Threat to Texas Livestock and Wildlife
The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly that infests warm-blooded mammals by laying eggs in open wounds. Once hatched, the larvae burrow into living tissue, feeding on flesh and causing severe injury or death if untreated. The parasite was eradicated from the United States decades ago, but its reemergence in Central America and Mexico has raised alarms due to its rapid spread and destructive impact.
Texas officials have warned that a screwworm outbreak could devastate wildlife populations and severely disrupt the state’s cattle industry, which is valued at approximately $15 billion annually. With more than ten million head of cattle, Texas represents a critical pillar of the national beef supply. Even a limited infestation could trigger quarantines, movement restrictions, and trade disruptions that ripple far beyond rural communities.
Federal and State Monitoring Leading to the Disaster Declaration
The disaster declaration follows months of coordinated monitoring by Texas agencies and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Federal officials have tracked the screwworm’s northward migration through Mexico, with confirmed cases recently reported in the border state of Tamaulipas and nearby regions. These developments prompted heightened concern that natural animal movement, livestock transport, or delayed detection could allow the parasite to cross into the United States.
The USDA has published updated surveillance maps showing the proximity of confirmed cases to the Texas border and has deployed more than one hundred twenty screwworm traps along the U.S.-Mexico border across Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. These monitoring efforts are designed to detect the parasite early and support rapid containment if necessary.
USDA Screwworm Eradication Strategy and Texas Coordination
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins launched a five-part federal strategy last year aimed at eradicating the screwworm and pushing the parasite’s range back to the Darién Gap in Panama. That plan includes sterile insect release, expanded surveillance, border inspection protocols, and international cooperation.
As part of this effort, federal and state leaders announced plans to invest in a sterile fly production facility and a complementary fly dispersal site at Moore Air Force Base in Edinburg, Texas. These facilities are intended to dramatically increase the United States’ ability to suppress screwworm populations without chemical treatments by releasing sterile male flies that prevent reproduction.
USDA officials informed Texas lawmakers during a joint legislative hearing in December that the dispersal facility remains on track for completion by the end of January. Once operational, Texas will play a central role in screwworm eradication efforts across North America.
New World Screwworm Response Team and State Preparedness
Prior to issuing the disaster declaration, Governor Abbott directed the creation of the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team. The team was jointly established by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Animal Health Commission and serves as the central coordinating body for prevention, surveillance, and response efforts across the state.
According to the disaster proclamation, the response team has conducted extensive outreach to industry groups, state and local officials, and the public. It has hosted veterinary education events, deployed species-specific surveillance traps along the border, and conducted multi-day field response trainings with federal partners and agricultural organizations.
The declaration formally authorizes the team to utilize all available state resources necessary to prevent the parasite’s reintroduction and to respond rapidly if detections occur.
Legal Authority Activated by the Texas Disaster Declaration
The proclamation invokes multiple sections of the Texas Government Code that empower the governor to declare a disaster when an imminent threat of widespread or severe property damage exists. It authorizes the temporary suspension of certain regulatory statutes and agency rules if strict compliance would delay emergency action, provided such suspensions are approved by the governor’s office.
This authority allows state agencies to act quickly, coordinate across jurisdictions, and reassign personnel or resources as needed. Importantly, the declaration does not create new permanent programs or regulatory frameworks. Its purpose is to accelerate action under existing law during the duration of the disaster.
Economic Stakes Behind the Screwworm Disaster Declaration
A central justification for the disaster declaration is the economic risk posed by a potential screwworm outbreak. The proclamation explicitly finds that the parasite’s continued migration presents an imminent threat of widespread property damage, a statutory requirement for emergency action.
Texas cattle production is deeply integrated into national supply chains, and disruptions caused by infestation or trade restrictions could drive higher beef prices and financial strain on producers and consumers alike. State leaders have emphasized that the cost of prevention is significantly lower than the economic fallout of a delayed or inadequate response.
Support From Texas Agriculture Leadership
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller (R) supported the governor’s decision to issue the disaster declaration, noting that it provides greater authority, resources, and speed to confront the growing threat. State agricultural officials have emphasized that early action is essential to preventing the reestablishment of a parasite that once caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses across the southern United States.
The declaration also reinforces reporting requirements for livestock owners and veterinarians, ensuring that any suspected cases are quickly communicated to the Texas Animal Health Commission for investigation and response.
What the Texas Disaster Declaration Does and Does Not Do
The disaster declaration does not indicate that the New World screwworm is present in Texas. Instead, it certifies that the parasite’s northward spread poses a sufficient threat to justify emergency preparedness measures. It also does not authorize permanent regulatory changes or new spending programs without further legislative action.
The declaration is preventative in nature, designed to ensure that Texas can respond immediately if conditions deteriorate rather than waiting for confirmed damage to livestock or wildlife.
Conclusion on Texas Disaster Declaration and Screwworm Prevention
Governor Abbott’s disaster declaration represents a clear escalation in Texas’s response to the New World screwworm threat. It formalizes months of monitoring, planning, and coordination into a legally empowered emergency posture aimed at protecting livestock, wildlife, and the state’s agricultural economy. The key takeaway is that Texas is acting ahead of the threat rather than behind it. By invoking disaster authorities now, the state is prioritizing prevention, speed, and coordination to ensure that a historically destructive parasite does not regain a foothold within its borders.
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