SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is tracking cases of New World Screwworm after the first U.S. case since 1968 was detected in Texas.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food described New World Screwworm as a fly. The fly’s larvae burrow into the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, causing large wounds and even death in untreated animals.

Officials said the fly was eradicated from the United States in the late 60s. However, an increase in flies in Central America in recent years led to the discovery of New World Screwworm in Mexico and has since spread into the States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed on Wednesday that a three-week-old calf in Texas was carrying the fly’s larvae.

According to UDAF, if New World Screwworm spreads in the United States, it could cost billions in treatment costs, production, and losses.

“It is critical for animal owners and veterinarians to be aware of the signs of NWS and to report any suspicious cases immediately to the State Veterinarian’s office,” UDAF said in a statement.

Signs include discomfort, draining or enlarging wounds, and larvae or eggs in or around body openings, such as the nose and ears. The New World Screwworm most commonly affects livestock, pets, and wildlife and, in very rare cases, people and birds.

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A trans woman in Wyoming is facing two felony charges — aggravated assault and possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent — after pulling out a gun on someone who had pushed her to the ground, per journalist Jeff Victor of The Laramie Reporter.

Rihanna Kelver was standing outside the Crowbar & Grill in Laramie, Wyoming, when a man — whom local state news publication Cowboy State Daily identified as Scott Durham —  began to shout homophobic and transphobic slurs at her. Durham later shoved Kelver to the ground with such force that she injured her tailbone, per court testimony and surveillance footage detailed in the affidavit reviewed by The Laramie Reporter, which initially reported the altercation.

In response, Kelver drew a pistol from her bag, put in a round and pointed the weapon at Durham, which caused him to flee. Kelver, per The Laramie Reporter, kept the safety on and never fired.

Despite Wyoming’s “Stand Your Ground” statute, which allows people to use reasonable force in moments of self defense, Kelver faces up to 15 years in prison for both charges, as well as up to $11,000 in fines, per Cowboy State Daily. Kelver faces an additional year and $1,000 fine for a charge of interference with a peace officer.

Per the statute, “A person who uses reasonable defensive force … shall not be criminally prosecuted for that use of reasonable defensive force.”

According to video evidence detailed in court documents reviewed by The Laramie Reporter and Slate, Kelver was “alone, outnumbered, physically assaulted and left on the ground facing multiple aggressors,” as Durham was not alone during the incident.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that Kelver acted in self defense, a judge at a pretrial hearing agreed with the charges against Kelver, forcing her to go to trial.

Some of the facts of the case are disputed, per Cowboy State Daily, including Durham’s claim that Kelver initially approached him and that Durham only shoved her because she was the aggressor, despite Durham admitting this was a “three-on-one” situation, with the numbers stacked against Kelver.

Police who reviewed the footage wrote that Kelver approached Durham and that Durham pushed Kelver, per the affidavit.

Kelver allegedly said that she “did not recall pulling the firearm during the altercation.” Kelver said she had the gun for personal safety, having been stalked just the night before.

Per Cowboy State Daily, the charges against Kelver have changed multiple times. In November, Albany County Attorney Kurt Britzius lowered the charges from two felonies and a misdemeanor to two misdemeanors: reckless endangering and interference.

Kelver wrote a letter to Judge Robert Sanford apologizing for using the gun.

“I do not wish to spend any time attempting to garner sympathy nor victimhood,” Kelver wrote, per a court file reviewed by the Daily. “I wish to offer my sincerest apologies and condolences to your court and to my community.” She added she was “deeply sorry.”

However, following that letter, negotiations fell apart and the felony charges were reinstated in March.

“I fully respect the legal process and intend to address the facts in court, not necessarily anymore in the media,” Kelver told the Daily over the phone. “I did not go looking for confrontation. I genuinely believed my safety was threatened and my actions were taken in response to that threat.”

Once the facts are heard, she added, “it will be clear that this was a defensive response to a frightening situation. I just ask that people not rush to judgment based on incomplete information.”