The New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, has been found in US wildlife for the first time, according to the Guardian and The Hill. Both cited the US Department of Agriculture.

The parasite was found in an elk in Texas, the Guardian and The Hill reported. The Guardian said the elk was in Pecos County. It was on a game ranch and was reported after a hunter killed it, the outlets said.

"This detection highlights the critical role hunters, landowners, outdoor enthusiasts, and wildlife professionals play in helping detect and stop the spread of NWS," the USDA said, according to The Hill.

Federal and state officials are adding more checks on wildlife in the area, the Guardian and The Hill reported. "We encourage all hunters and landowners to be vigilant for signs of New World screwworm while they are out in the field this season," said Alan Cain of the Texas parks and wildlife department, according to the Guardian. The Texas animal health commission will change a zone it set up earlier for the pest, the Guardian said.

The screwworm is a fly that gets into animals through open wounds and feeds on living tissue, The Hill reported.

The pest was wiped out in the US decades ago, the Guardian reported. It has since spread north from Central America through Mexico. The US halted cattle imports from Mexico last year to keep it out, the Guardian said. Trade resumed in August at a port in Arizona as part of a slow reopening. The halt has pushed beef prices to record highs, the Guardian reported.

The screwworm was found on a calf in Zavala County, Texas, near the border in June, the Guardian reported. There have been dozens of US cases since then, including on a horse and a dog, it said.

In June, the USDA opened a sterile fly plant in Mexico that can make up to 100 million flies to fight the pest, The Hill reported.

What we know: The USDA confirmed screwworm in a Texas elk, its first known case in US wildlife.
What we don't: Whether it has spread to other wild animals in the area.