U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced an immediate suspension of live cattle, horse, and bison imports through southern U.S. border ports due to the rapid northward spread of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico. Recent detections in Oaxaca and Veracruz, approximately 700 miles from the U.S. border, have prompted this action to curb the deadly parasitic fly’s advance. Despite ongoing U.S.-Mexico efforts to eradicate NWS, the USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in collaboration with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), will restrict imports of live animals from or transiting through Mexico. The suspension will be evaluated monthly until significant containment is achieved, with ongoing bilateral reviews to strengthen eradication strategies.

For more details on the suspension, go here.