State and federal leaders are expected to discuss plans to fight the New World screwworm during a Friday press conference in Austin.

Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will hold the event at 11:30 a.m. at the Texas Capitol, according to a news release.

KSAT will livestream the event in this article. Delays are possible; if there is not a stream, please come back at a later time.

The screwworm, or Cochliomyia hominivorax, is a parasitic fly whose larvae burrow into the flesh of living animals, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, causing severe and often fatal injuries.

The parasite can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, sometimes birds and in rare cases, people.

The U.S. closed its southern border to livestock imports this summer after the scr

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