The FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization for a drug to prevent New World Screwworm infestation in sheep, cattle, goats and swine, expanding a July authorization that had covered only horses, on Aug. 7.
The authorization is part of the ongoing USDA-APHIS response to a New World Screwworm outbreak that has been advancing northward toward the U.S.-Mexico border, the agency said.
New World Screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae infest the living flesh of warm-blooded animals and can kill livestock within days. The pest was eradicated from the United States in the 1960s through a decades-long sterile insect technique program, and its potential return poses a catastrophic threat.
The U.S. livestock industry is valued at hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Cattle ranchers in Texas and other southern states face the most immediate economic exposure if the pest crosses into U.S. territory.
The expanded EUA gives veterinarians and producers an additional tool to protect their herds. The drug prevents screwworm larvae from establishing in wounds, which is the primary mode of infestation.
The USDA’s $500 million SPUR program, announced separately, is also linked to the screwworm crisis. The combined federal response reflects the seriousness with which agricultural officials are treating the threat.
APHIS is coordinating with Mexican authorities on containment efforts at the border, including the deployment of sterile flies to suppress the screwworm population in affected areas.