Governor Greg Abbott announced on Saturday the launch of a free online course to expand the number of certified New World Screwworm (NWS) inspectors across Texas. This course will allow more Texans to inspect their animals and certify the documentation required to safely move them, which is critical to ensuring cattle and livestock commerce continues uninterrupted, the governor said.<\/p>\n
The first-of-its-kind program is developed by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in partnership with USDA-APHIS, the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Abbott said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe State of Texas will use every tool to protect our cattle industry and wildlife while we eradicate this pest,\u201d said Abbott. “The AgriLife and TAHC moved quickly to launch this training. Now more people, including private industry, will be able to inspect and certify animals for movement. Through this program, Texas will protect our ranchers, ensure the security of our food supply, and keep business strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStopping the spread of NWS will not be possible without our inspectors knowing what to look for, that\u2019s why today\u2019s announcement is critical to keep our cattle industry on track,\u201d said USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. \u201cWe encourage everyone who is able to help us identify and report suspected cases to help eradicate this pest as fast as possible. Grateful for Governor Abbott, TAHC, TPWD, and AgriLife for being amazing partners in this fight!\u201d<\/p>\n
The course is an online, modular program delivered through the AgriLife Learn platform. It includes narrated modules, demonstration videos, and knowledge checks covering NWS biology and life cycle, surveillance and reporting, species-specific inspection and treatment protocols, roles of state and federal agencies, and movement permitting requirements.<\/p>\n
Those meeting TAHC eligibility standards who pass the final exam may apply to become a TAHC Certified NWS Inspector, authorized to issue official NWS Treatment\/Movement Certificates for lawful movement of livestock out of infested zones.<\/p>\n
Phase one immediately opens eligibility to the following groups, in addition to existing authorized personnel, including thousands of Texas veterinarians:<\/p>\n
Licensed veterinarians (not already in the Authorized Personnel Program)
\nVeterinary technicians
\nTexas A&M AgriLife Extension agents and Disaster Assessment and Recovery agents
\nTexas Department of Agriculture inspectors
\nTexas Department of State Health Services Meat Safety inspectors
\nTexas Racing Commission inspectors
\nAnimal control officers
\nLivestock deputies
\nDesignated personnel from temporary livestock aggregation points
\nAdditional groups may be added in future phases as the program evolves. The course is also available to any Texan for educational purposes.<\/p>\n
Livestock owners, managers, veterinarians, government personnel, and allied industry professionals are encouraged to enroll. To access this free online course,<\/a> register an account, add course to your cart, and check out. <\/p>\n Important facts about New World Screwworm: Report suspected cases immediately: Governor Greg Abbott announced on Saturday the launch of a free online course to expand the number of certified New World Screwworm (NWS) inspectors across Texas. This course will allow more Texans to inspect their animals and certify the documentation required to safely move them, which is critical to ensuring cattle and livestock commerce continues … Continue reading Governor Abbott launches free New World Screwworm inspector training to keep livestock moving<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8661,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[164],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1515390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-state-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-15 15:31:53","action":"change-status","newStatus":"trash","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1515390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8661"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1515390"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1515390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1515396,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1515390\/revisions\/1515396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1515390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1515390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1515390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nNWS is caused by the larvae of a parasitic fly that lay eggs in open wounds. The larvae feed on living tissue of warm-blooded animals.
\nNWS is not a contagious disease. It does not spread directly from animal to animal.
\nNWS is not a food safety issue. Screwworms do not infest meat or other food products. The food supply remains safe.<\/p>\n
\nLivestock or pets: Texas Animal Health Commission at 1-800-550-8242
\nWildlife: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at 512-389-4505
\nFor more information, go to screwworm.gov<\/a>
\nThe course directly supports the state\u2019s aggressive NWS response. Under Governor Abbott\u2019s leadership, Texas has deployed sterile insect technique releases, established quarantines in infested zones, and committed all available state resources to protect the livestock industry while maintaining business continuity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"