Texas A&M Launches Screwworm Genomic Study
A two-year, roughly $4 million USDA-funded project will sequence thousands of screwworms from the Honduras outbreak to track and control the parasite.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Life Sciences
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Texas A&M researchers received approximately $4 million through USDA's New World Screwworm Grand Challenge for a two-year genomic project. The work will use screwworm samples from the ongoing outbreak in Honduras to develop tools for tracking and controlling the parasite.
Why it matters
Screwworm was eradicated from the U.S. through an effort that began in the 1950s, but cases began rising again in Panama in 2021 and 2022 and the outbreak reached the U.S. in June 2026. The research aims to understand where the parasite comes from, how it changes, and whether it could become resistant to control drugs.
The project will sequence 99.99% of the genome in each screwworm sampled and compare thousands of individuals against collection location and prior treatment history, where available. Researchers have not yet determined whether drug-resistant populations are emerging in the outbreak.
The players
Texas A&M University
A public research university in College Station, Texas, whose researchers lead this genomic study of the screwworm parasite.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The federal department that funds the New World Screwworm Grand Challenge and oversees national livestock pest control efforts.
The details
The team will use samples from the Honduras outbreak, with collection location, date, host species, and treatment information when available. Using Texas A&M High Performance Research Computing resources, researchers plan to compare whole genomes to identify patterns of reduced drug susceptibility, and the data will be shared with other researchers after analyses are complete.
Timeline
2021 and 2022: Screwworm cases began increasing again in Panama.
Late 2025: Honduran officials visited Texas A&M for a planning meeting.
June 2026: The screwworm outbreak reached the United States.
November 2, 2026: The Texas A&M-led project was announced.
Big Picture
The 1950s effort that eradicated screwworm from the United States is now being tested as the parasite returns from Central America. The genomic database is intended to help track future outbreaks and guide control strategies.
Better tracking of screwworm genetics could help livestock producers and officials detect drug resistance earlier and adjust control measures. The genomic database may also be used to identify the origin of new outbreaks as they appear.
The takeaway
Genomic tracking of screwworm may help detect drug resistance before control efforts fail. Watch for the database release once the two-year project completes.
What happens next
Researchers will make the genomic data available to other researchers after analyses are complete over the two-year project.
Further reading
Explore more Life Sciences coverage for context on how genomic research is used to track disease-causing organisms.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Texas A&M Stories.
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