WASHINGTON, June 11 - Federal agencies have shifted into an accelerated response mode as the New World screwworm has surfaced in the United States, prompting an unusual mix of regulatory fast-tracking, emergency stockpiling and targeted personnel deployments. The outbreak, which so far has produced six confirmed cases in Texas and New Mexico, is being addressed through a coordinated effort among the USDA, the FDA, the EPA and private animal health firms, but the operation is being carried out amid constrained resources that officials say could limit how quickly the pest is contained.
The parasite poses a direct risk to livestock, with the USDA confirming that the six cases involve four cows, a goat and a dog. Federal officials say the potential economic implications are significant because a widespread infestation could hit the beef industry hard - an industry that is already under stress due to prolonged drought and elevated consumer prices. Beef prices are noted in federal statements as being near record highs, a factor that has heightened sensitivity to any risk that could further tighten supply and push costs higher for consumers.
Regulatory steps and stockpiling
Since last September, the Food and Drug Administration has issued a series of expedited actions to get treatments into the field rapidly. According to federal disclosures, the FDA has provided 12 emergency use authorizations or conditional approvals for screwworm treatments, a pathway that permits use of medical countermeasures after companies have submitted safety data and limited efficacy evidence but before a full formal review is completed.
Those authorizations have been coordinated with the USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency, which holds responsibility over certain pesticides that might be part of a broader control strategy. Animal health companies have been active partners in this work: Elanco said it has worked closely with federal agencies and is sending two of its fast-tracked products to a USDA stockpile in Texas. Merck’s animal health unit likewise received conditional FDA approval in December for a topical screwworm treatment and has been cooperating with USDA and Texas officials as cases emerged.
At a public briefing in Kerrville, Texas, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized that the department has been preparing since early last year and announced that $100 million in funding for new screwworm technologies will be distributed earlier than planned. Rollins also told the Senate Agriculture Committee that the department has more than 100 staff working full-time on the screwworm response.
On-the-ground reaction and rancher concerns
Federal personnel have surged to areas in Texas where infections were confirmed, and treatments are being moved into local stockpiles. Despite those actions, some ranchers say public communications have not soothed their concerns and that they want more visible action. Susan Storey, a rancher in La Salle County, told reporters she felt the agency’s public messaging was not sufficient to reassure producers living near confirmed cases.
Industry and regulatory officials say further cases are possible. Justin Welsh, executive director of livestock technical services for Merck’s animal health arm, described the USDA response as proactive while also expressing an expectation that additional cases will be identified. He said it is reasonable to expect the pest will continue to spread but that the hope is for gradual rather than rapid expansion.
Sterile insect shortages and production plans
A central tool in the federal playbook is the release of sterile male screwworm flies. These sterile males mate with wild females, halting reproduction and suppressing population growth. The USDA is currently deploying roughly 100 million sterile flies weekly, sourced from a production facility in Panama, but officials acknowledge that many millions more would be required for a full-scale suppression campaign. The agency is building a domestic production facility in Texas to boost capacity, but that plant is not expected to come online until late 2027.
Scott Hutchins, the USDA undersecretary for research, told attendees at a press briefing that the current supply is insufficient for a complete eradication push but should enable management of the pest’s development in Texas. The limitation in sterile insect supply is therefore a strategic constraint on how rapidly and comprehensively the federal response can be deployed.
Staffing levels and institutional capacity
The USDA’s response comes against the backdrop of a significant reduction in animal health personnel at the department. Government records show that more than 2,100 employees left the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service between January and June 2025, an attrition rate of roughly 25 percent since the start of the current presidential term. That drop was driven in part by a voluntary financial incentive program that encouraged departures as part of a broader effort to decrease federal staffing.
Critics have warned that fewer animal health professionals could undermine rapid detection and response capacity. A group of Democratic senators, led by Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, sent a letter to Secretary Rollins and Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden raising concerns that staff reductions at APHIS and other USDA components might impede the agency’s ability to respond fully to screwworm and other agricultural threats.
Rollins told the Senate Agriculture Committee that the reduced headcount has not hindered the department’s screwworm response. Still, veterinary and public health experts emphasize the role of APHIS veterinarians in carrying out field surveillance, advising on suspicious cases and coordinating response activities with state and local partners. Michael Bailey, a veterinarian and president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, warned that public sector shortages of veterinarians and related staff are an existing challenge and that any loss of capability in government roles can have negative consequences for outbreak response.
Coordination with industry
Private animal health companies have been integral to the federal plan. Jeff Simmons, CEO of Elanco, said the fast-tracking of treatments was a coordinated effort among the FDA, USDA and EPA, and described the preparations as something the company had been anticipating. Elanco has contributed products to the Texas stockpile and has been engaged in planning for wider distribution should additional cases emerge.
The nature of the regulatory approvals - emergency use authorizations and conditional approvals - reflects a calculated trade-off by regulators to make countermeasures available quickly while relying on limited evidence sets, rather than delaying deployment for the duration of a full FDA review. That approach aims to balance the urgent need to protect animals and agricultural supply chains with the regulators’ responsibility to ensure products meet baseline safety and effectiveness thresholds.
Political context and consumer impact
Officials and industry observers note the political sensitivity of an outbreak that could affect beef supply and prices as the November midterm elections approach. The combination of near-record beef prices and economic strain on consumers has elevated scrutiny of federal performance in protecting agricultural sectors and maintaining food supply stability - issues that have the potential to influence public sentiment as electoral contests near.
Outlook
Federal officials maintain that preparations have been ongoing since early last year and that current measures - including fast-tracked treatments, stockpiles, personnel deployments and international sterile fly supplies - provide a foundation to manage the outbreak. At the same time, constraints on sterile fly production capacity and a substantial reduction in animal health staff remain key vulnerabilities. How those capacities evolve and whether additional cases emerge will determine whether the response stays manageable or requires further escalation.
Summary
The U.S. government has expedited approvals for screwworm treatments, is distributing $100 million earlier than planned for countermeasure technologies, and has built a Texas stockpile while deploying personnel to affected areas. Yet the response faces constraints, including a shortage of sterile male flies - with domestic production not due until late 2027 - and a roughly 25 percent decline in USDA animal health staff, which some lawmakers and veterinarians warn could impair outbreak detection and management. Six infections have been confirmed in Texas and New Mexico, involving four cows, one goat and one dog.