228 jobs open at Texas plant bred to fight flesh-eating parasite

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hiring 228 people to staff a new facility near the Texas border that will breed sterile flies to combat the New World screwworm. The plant, located at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, is designed to produce 300 million sterile male screwworm flies per week once fully operational. This output would triple the current weekly capacity of the USDA's existing facilities in Panama and Mexico, providing a domestic source of the insects needed to break the reproductive cycle of the parasite.

The current outbreak in the United States began in June after the parasite was detected in a calf in Zavala County. Since then, confirmed cases have spread across multiple counties in West and South Texas, as well as parts of Arizona and New Mexico. Texas officials recorded at least 69 confirmed cases this year, with the most recent detection on Nov. 9 in a sheep in Val Verde County. The parasite has also been found in cattle, cats, dogs, and two elk. Federal officials increased containment efforts after the parasite began spreading rapidly in Mexico earlier this year.

The New World screwworm is a fly that lays eggs in the open wounds of livestock. The resulting larvae feed on the animals' flesh, causing damage that can be fatal. To stop the spread, the new facility will release sterile male flies into the wild. Because female screwworm flies mate only once in their life cycle, mating with a sterile male prevents them from laying viable eggs. The USDA noted that this sterile insect technique was successfully used to eradicate the parasite from the country in 1966 when combined with surveillance and outreach.

Construction on the Edinburg facility is expected to be completed in April 2027, with the plant slated to open by mid-2027. The USDA currently funds two production sites outside the United States. The facility in Panama produces about 100 million sterile flies per week, while a second site opened in Mexico in June, with production levels still increasing. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins stated that the new facility will provide the speed and scale needed to rapidly counter the threat from the border.

The 228 positions include skilled trades, craft, and laboring roles, along with jobs in biological sciences, laboratory support, administration, technology, and occupational safety. A hiring event is scheduled from Nov. 17 to Nov. 19 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton McAllen Convention Center in McAllen. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins said the hiring event offers an opportunity for people to join a government mission. Interested applicants can also submit applications online through the USDA website.