NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico officials and the cattle industry are getting ready as the New World Screwworm is getting closer to the U.S.–Mexico border. After the government eradicated the fly from the United States in the 60s, New Mexico's state veterinarian said it’s concerning how quickly the pest has made its way back into Mexico.

“Most fly larvae that get into wounds on animals feed on the dead tissue. What makes screwworm different is that it actually feeds on live tissue,” said State Veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board, Samantha Holeck.

New World Screwworm is a parasitic larva of the New World Screwworm fly. It's getting closer and closer to the U.S.–Mexico border, with the most recent detection within 70 miles of the border in Nuevo León, Mexico.

“That animal was

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