La Pryor, Texas - The US Department of Agriculture on Wednesday reported a possible case of New World screwworm (NWS), a dangerous livestock pest whose flesh-eating larvae can kill cattle.

"A case of NWS may have been detected in South Texas," the agency said in a statement, adding that a sample has been sent to its national veterinary laboratory in Iowa for confirmatory testing.

"We have already activated personnel on the ground and are working with local partners," the organization continued.

Last summer, the US banned livestock trade from Mexico over reports that Mexican cattle tested positive for the pest.

Canada Carney says Trump's latest tariff attack is "not a surprise" as Canada pivots from US

The New World screwworm was considered eradicated in the US in 1966, until a 2016 outbreak in southern Florida, according to the USDA website.

A USDA study last year estimated a screwworm resurgence in Texas could cost the state's economy $1.8 billion.