New Mexico officials worry as New World screwworm infestations near U.S.

New World screwworm flies are getting closer and closer to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday confirmed an infestation of the flies in Sabinas Hidalgo, Mexico, about 85 miles from Laredo, Texas. It's the northernmost detection so far of the New World screwworm, which is common in Central America and the Caribbean, in an ongoing outbreak.

New World screwworm flies' larvae burrow into the flesh of warm-blooded creatures — including livestock, pets, wildlife and, in rare cases, people — and feast upon healthy tissue, causing severe and sometimes deadly damage. The pests pose significant risk to U.S. cattle and livestock industries.

"Protecting the United States from NWS is non-negotiable and a top priority of the Trump Administration,” U.S. Agriculture Sec