New biosecurity company being built in SA to help combat NW screwworms

Biosecurity company Flyttr is planning to build a large-scale operation in San Antonio focused on developing and producing countermeasures against pest threats, including New World screwworms.  The facility will be located on San Antonio’s east side near an Amazon warehouse.  Flyttr says it will increase production of American-made sterile flies as part of the national response to NW screwworm.

“Screwworm is impacting South Texas, as you know, and we want it to be as close as we could be to the fight,” Flytrr CEO Grey Frandsen said.  The new facility will be designed to research, test and produce countermeasures for pest threats, with screwworm as its first focus.  Frandsen said the facility will be the first of its kind in the United States and is intended to help the country respond more quickly to emerging pest threats.  The company says the facility will also help build production capacity that could be used to respond to other pest threats in the future.

There are 49 confirmed cases of New World screwworm in Texas, including two active cases confirmed in late August and early September in Crockett and Presidio counties.  One of those cases is the first reported in a horse.

Additionally, Texas Parks and Wildlife officials have investigated 10,854 animals statewide and will continue until New World screwworm is eliminated from the U.S.

For more information visit TPWD.texas.gov/screwworm.