Because the New World screwworm has been detected in southern Mexico and is spreading north, the U.S. is halting live cattle, horse and bison imports from Mexico, on the orders of U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

The threat from the flesh-eating maggots, known as the New World Screwworm, has suspended live cattle imports through the southern border.

The New World screwworm is endemic in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean — and its northward spread into Mexico has alarmed U.S. officials. It can kill a full-grown cow in one to two weeks.