A case of flesh-eating New World screwworm has been detected in South Texas, the US Department of Agriculture said Wednesday. It is the first time this parasitic fly – whose larvae feed exclusively on the tissue of warm-blooded animals – has been detected in US livestock in decades.

The Department of Agriculture flagged a possible case of New World Screwworm or NWS in South Texas, sparking fears about the flesh-eating fly coming to the US.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the New World screwworm fly has arrived in south Texas.

The flesh-eating larvae has threatened the nation's cattle industry