Overview

• HHS on Tuesday authorized the FDA to grant emergency use authorizations so veterinarians can treat or prevent New World screwworm infestations in animals.
• FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency is acting to safeguard animal health and the nation’s food supply as officials mobilize additional tools.
• HHS notes the current risk to human health in the U.S. remains very low, though the parasite can cause severe tissue damage and death in untreated animals.
• USDA halted imports of cattle, horses, and bison from Mexico in May after detections in Oaxaca and Veracruz, with reports last month placing cases about 370 miles from the U.S. border.
• The federal response also includes large-scale sterile-fly releases and a new $750 million Texas facility slated to produce about 300 million sterile flies per week in coordination with Mexico.