Texas is ramping up preparations to meet the looming invasion of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly threatening the state’s multibillion-dollar livestock industry. 

The insect is typically found in South America and the Caribbean, but it found its way in late January to a northern Mexican state bordering Texas. The screwworm is now within 187 miles of the U.S. border, and it appears to be only a matter of time before it crosses into Texas, with officials gearing up to protect the community from parasitic invasion.