Mexican Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue, speaking at a regular press conference alongside President Claudia Sheinbaum, ruled out closing Mexico's southern border to cattle from Central America, but acknowledged it will take a long time to eradicate the pest.

The screwworm is a larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly that can invade the tissues of any warm-blooded animal, including humans.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins called the safety of the nation’s food supply "a national security issue of the utmost importance."