Texas officials confirmed the first U.S. case of New World screwworm in a three‑week‑old calf near La Pryor, 97 miles southwest of San Antonio. The parasite, eradicated domestically in the 1960s, can kill cattle within weeks if untreated. Governor Greg Abbott declared a statewide disaster and ordered immediate containment as the summer heat encourages fly spread.

The Texas Department of Agriculture began dispersing millions of sterile flies around the infested zone, a biological control that mates with wild females to halt reproduction. Meanwhile, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture set a 12‑mile quarantine, limited animal movement and deployed veterinarians. Industry leaders watch anxiously as Texas accounts for roughly 15 % of national beef output, valued at billions.

To sustain the effort, the Army Corps of Engineers broke ground on a $750 million facility at Moore Air Base, slated to produce 100 million sterile flies weekly by late 2027 and later scale to 300 million. The plant mirrors Panama’s sole existing unit that ships flies to Mexico and the United States. Abbott urged ranchers to inspect animals daily, emphasizing that swift treatment can contain the outbreak.