Officials are increasing trapping efforts, establishing quarantine zones and releasing millions of sterile flies after New World screwworm was confirmed in South Texas.

Landowners say contractors began clearing land near San Ygnacio before signing right-of-entry agreements or going through condemnation proceedings. CBP says it has the necessary access rights.

Scaled quail – also known as blue quail and “cottontops” – are quintessential creatures of the arid grasslands and the dominant quail species in West Texas. Researchers at Alpine’s Borderlands Research Institute are learing how adaptable these seemingly vulnerable creatures are.

The detection marks the first U.S. case of New World screwworm since the parasite was eradicated in the 1960s.