A devastating parasite in Florida’s history is slowly creeping back toward the Sunshine State.

In a release this year , the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that the New World Screwworm (NWS) has been moving through Mexico, meaning it could be reintroduced to the U.S.

The USDA announced earlier this year that it would be closing U.S. southern border ports to livestock trade as the infestation moved further northward, though just last month, the first case was reported domestically out of Maryland.

[BELOW: New World Screwworm may be poised for a return to the U.S.]

“The New World Screwworm — a destructive parasite that targets warm-blooded animals — was eradicated from the U.S. more than four decades ago," state officials announced. “Its return wo

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