Clinic center: USDA announces sterile fly facility at Texas base for screwworm eradication, and more

News
Article

The latest updates relating to animal care establishments and platforms.

An equine hospital known for treating Olympic-level sport horses has announced plans to expand its campus to include advanced imaging technology found only in a handful of facilities around the US. Meanwhile, the USDA has rolled out plans for an $8.5 million New World screwworm (NWS) facility in Texas and is exploring options for additional facilities to prevent the flesh-eating parasite from entering the US.

Continue reading to learn more about those new or upcoming facility openings.

Texas screwworm facility

NWS fly. (Image courtesy of the American Veterinary Medical Association and USDA)

NWS fly. (Image courtesy of the American Veterinary Medical Association and USDA)

With increasing detections of NWS in Mexico, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is escalating its detection and containment efforts to prevent the spread of the parasite into the US. As part of a 5-part eradication plan, the USDA has announced an $8.5 million sterile fly dispersal facility to be constructed at the Moore Air Base in Mission, Texas. The facility, situated close to the border with Mexico, will be completed by the end of 2025.

According to Buck Wehrbein, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, having a “sufficient supply of sterile flies” is the only way to push NWS away from the border.1 “To accomplish that, we need a sterile fly production facility of our own in the United States. Moore Air Base was previously part of our nation’s screwworm eradication effort in the 1960s and now this base will be the cornerstone of our renewed fight against this parasite,” Wehrbein said.1

Additional sterile fly production facilities?

In addition to the Moore Air Base facility, the USDA is reviewing options for another sterile fly production facility in the US capable of generating 300 million sterile flies each week. The federal agency is also exploring the possibility of building modular sterile fly production facilities along with other technologies to provide faster construction and surge capacity in the future.

Moreover, the USDA is investing $21 million to help renovate a sterile fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico. The project, which is estimated to generate 60-100 million sterile flies weekly, is anticipated to be completed in 18 months.

Currently, 100 million sterile flies for dispersal in Mexico are being produced at the Panama-United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Screwworm (COPEG) facility in Pacora, Panama. All facilities are built to raise large numbers of flies at every life stage and include spaces for insect rearing, sterilizing male flies with irradiation, and supporting functions like waste treatment and security.1

Equine hospital treating Olympic-caliber horses expands

Fairfield Equine Associates surgery and imaging facility rendering. (Image courtesy of Bohler)

Fairfield Equine Associates surgery and imaging facility rendering. (Image courtesy of Bohler)

Fairfield Equine Associates, a nationally and internationally-media recognized equine hospital, is building an 8132 sq ft, single-story surgery and imaging facility on its 14-acre Newtown, Connecticut campus.2 The facility will also house a 3-bedrom apartment for interns and visiting veterinarians, as well as a 74 ft x 150 ft covered riding ring. The hospital, which has treated horses from the US Equestrian Team and competitors in various Olympic games and other international events, also has a second location in Wellington, Florida.4

“We have local roots with a global reach,” said Kimberly J. Harmon, VMD, owner and managing partner of Fairfield Equine, during a public hearing, according to News-Times.3 “We’re able to provide care for a donkey that’s a beloved pet in someone’s backyard all the way to helping a horse that was bound for the Paris Olympic Games and had a setback; our team reached out and got the latest cutting-edge treatment for that athlete, and got them jumping and competing in Paris.”

The hospital currently offers advanced imaging technology which includes a magnetic resonance imaging system, but the new facility will allow for a Qalibra computed tomography (CT) machine designed specifically for horses. Currently, similar CT systems are only found in Tufts University in Massachusetts and in the Mid‑Atlantic region.2 The new wing will also feature 15-foot-high ceilings to accommodate a trolley system for hoisting horses up as they are moved from a gurney to a table.

Construction is slated to start in Fall 2025.

References

  1. USDA unveils Texas screwworm facility, eradication strategy amid reopening of southern ports. American Veterinary Medical Association. July 2, 2025. Accessed July 9, 2025. https://www.avma.org/news/usda-unveils-texas-screwworm-facility-eradication-strategy-amid-reopening-southern-ports?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=todays-headlines-news
  2. Helping to enhance the standard of care for Fairfield Equine Associates. News release. Bohler. July 2025. Accessed July 9, 2025. https://bohlerengineering.com/blog/news/helping-to-enhance-the-standard-of-care-for-fairfield-equine-associates/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#
  3. Ryser R. Newtown OKs expansion for equine hospital that has treated Olympic-caliber horses. News-Times. June 20, 2025. Accessed July 9, 2025. https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/newtown-oks-horse-hospital-equine-surgery-imaging-20381002.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  4. Fairfield Equine Associates. Fairfield Equine Associates. Accessed July 9, 2025. https://www.fairfieldequine.com/

Newsletter

From exam room tips to practice management insights, get trusted veterinary news delivered straight to your inbox—subscribe to dvm360.

Recent Videos
Heather E. Lewis interview
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.