NMSU Offers Free Screwworm Inspector Training as Infestations Spread Across Southern New Mexico

The training will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the New Arena Student Learning Center on the NMSU campus. Open to all NMSU students, the program requires no registration or participation fee.

By Levi Gwaltney for Las Cruces Digest
Source: NMSU Cooperative Extension Services (via Facebook)
Images: Courtesy

New Mexico State University students will have an opportunity to earn a New World Screwworm Inspector Certificate during a free training session Friday, November 13, as state agriculture officials continue efforts to contain the parasitic pest spreading across southern New Mexico.

The training will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the New Arena Student Learning Center on the NMSU campus. Open to all NMSU students, the program requires no registration or participation fee.

Participants will receive educational instruction about New World screwworm and practical experience inspecting cattle. The hands-on training will include chute-side livestock handling, inspection procedures and identifying signs of infestation.

The training comes as the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and New Mexico Livestock Board respond to an expanding number of confirmed cases. On November 2, state officials announced a transition to regional infested-zone maps covering much of southern New Mexico, including Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna and Otero counties, as well as portions of neighboring counties.

New World screwworm larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, making early identification and treatment important to protecting livestock, pets and wildlife. State officials have emphasized surveillance, livestock inspections and animal movement requirements as part of their efforts to limit the pest's spread.

NMSU has previously conducted screwworm training for veterinarians, livestock producers and agricultural professionals. The November 13 session extends hands-on educational opportunities to the university's student population.

Students attending Friday's training will have an opportunity to earn an inspector certificate while developing practical skills relevant to the state's ongoing animal health response.