A New World screwworm infestation has been confirmed in a hunter-harvested female elk in West Texas, prompting wildlife officials to urge hunters and landowners to watch for signs of the parasite as hunting season gets underway.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) received confirmation of the detection on Oct. 21.

A sample collected from the elk was identified as New World screwworm at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville.