{"id":4814,"date":"2026-06-17T19:01:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T19:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=4814"},"modified":"2026-06-17T19:01:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T19:01:32","slug":"texas-secures-immediate-federal-funding-to-hire-livestock-inspectors-and-fight-ongoing-new-world-screwworm-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=4814","title":{"rendered":"Texas secures immediate federal funding to hire livestock inspectors and fight ongoing New World screwworm out"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dyed sterile fly pupae used to combat the spread of the New World screwworm at Chapparosa Ranch in La Pryor, Texas, US, on Thursday, June 11, 2026. The US’s best weapon against a deadly cattle parasite threatening the beef industry is more than a yea<\/span> <\/p>

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Texas has secured immediate federal funding to hire additional livestock inspectors and reinforce its field operations against an ongoing outbreak of the parasitic New World screwworm, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday.<\/p>

Federal Funding Secured<\/strong><\/h2>

The funding comes through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The money will allow the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) to add 15 term positions, including 10 field inspectors alongside emergency management and epidemiology specialists, to expand containment efforts.<\/p>

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What they’re saying:<\/p>

“Texas will take every action necessary to safeguard our livestock producers and agricultural economy from the New World screwworm,” Abbott said in a statement. “This federal funding allows us to place more inspectors in the field and bolster our state response.”<\/p>

Severe Agricultural Threat<\/strong><\/h2>

The New World screwworm is the larval stage of a fly that infests the warm-blooded tissue of living animals, entering through open wounds. Left untreated, infestations can be fatal to livestock, pets, and wildlife, posing a severe threat to the state’s multibillion-dollar agricultural sector.<\/p>

The federal funding follows a series of emergency steps taken by state and federal officials after the first confirmed cases of the pest were detected in Texas. Abbott previously issued a statewide disaster declaration, activated the State Emergency Operations Center, and mobilized a joint Texas NWS Response Team bringing together state agencies, veterinarians, and wildlife experts.<\/p>

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