STORY: "We do not believe this will be an infestation."

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told lawmakers on Thursday that the USDA believes it can contain a case of New World screwworm that was detected in Texas.

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The flesh-eating parasite was found in a calf in the southern part of the state after advancing north through Mexico over the past year, marking the first time in decades that it's threatened the nation's cattle industry.

"The challenge is we need about 400 to 500 million flies a week to push it back and we had gotten to the point - because no one thought it was going to be a threat again - that we're only producing 100 million a week, and that's down in Panama. So that's what we're working to solve for right now."

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Ranchers and traders are on high alert for more potential cases of the devastating parasitic fly that eats warm-blooded animals alive.

Wider infestations could further shrink the U.S. cattle herd, which is the smallest it has been in 75 years.

The detection threatens the state's livestock industry, which experts estimated could face up to $1.8 billion in economic losses if screwworm spreads.