UTRGV Wins $2.2 Million USDA Grant for Drone-Based Screwworm Detection

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has received a $2.2 million USDA award to build drone-based tools for detecting and preventing New World screwworm infestations in livestock and wildlife. USDA announced the two-year project on Nov. 2.

The award comes through USDA's New World Screwworm Grand Challenge, an initiative run by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to advance detection, control and response capabilities. UTRGV was one of 40 recipients selected from a field of 226 applicants. The combined federal funding across winners totals $105 million.

Sarah Mays Maestas, an assistant professor in UTRGV's School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, leads the project. Researchers Andrea Contina, Pushpa Soti and Christopher Vitek round out the team.

"This award provides significant support for us to address a threat to animal health and livestock producers at both the regional and national level," Maestas said. "We hope to be able to supply new tools to aid in the fight against New World screwworm."

What will the research test?

The team will evaluate three technologies together: thermal imaging, machine learning and drones. The goal is to identify potential infestations and flag animals with wounds that may require treatment.

Researchers also plan to test drones as delivery platforms — distributing sterile flies and applying animal treatments from the air.

A separate component examines how South Texas vegetation shapes screwworm habitat. Using high-resolution drone imagery and environmental data, the team aims to build models that pinpoint where adult flies are likely to be found. Those models could help animal health officials target surveillance, trapping and sterile fly releases.

Why the pest matters now

New World screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, including cattle, wildlife and pets. Female flies lay eggs in open wounds. Larvae hatch within 12 to 24 hours, and untreated infestations can cause severe tissue damage and death, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The United States eradicated the pest in 1966 by releasing sterile male flies, a technique that prevents reproduction. Its northward spread from Central America has renewed concerns about livestock health and agricultural biosecurity.

USDA has expanded surveillance and sterile fly distribution as part of its national response. As of July 2026, the department reported distributing roughly 100 million sterile flies weekly in Mexico and Texas. It is also investing in additional production capacity.

Why South Texas is exposed

Maestas said South Texas faces particular vulnerability because of cross-border livestock movement, wildlife migration and favorable environmental conditions. That geography puts the region's producers closest to the front line of any reintroduction.

The research targets a defined set of end users: livestock producers, wildlife managers, USDA-APHIS and the Texas Animal Health Commission. Outputs are intended to move from field trials into operational surveillance and response programs.

With $105 million now spread across 40 projects under the Grand Challenge, UTRGV's drone work will test within two years whether aerial detection and sterile-fly delivery can sharpen the margin of defense for cattle operations in the border region.