(WASHINGTON) — All imports of live cattle, horse and bison from the southern border have been banned due to the spread of a flesh-eating pest in Mexico, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Sunday.

“The protection of our animals and safety of our nation’s food supply is a national security issue of the utmost importance,” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a press release.

The secretary cited New World Screwworm (NWS), a parasitic fly, as the reason for the suspension of imports. The name refers to the way in which maggots screw themselves into the tissue of animals with their sharp mouth hooks, causing extensive damage and often leading to death.

Panama saw NWS infections among livestock rise from an average of 25 cases annually to over 6,500 in 2023. Since then, the di

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