The Food and Drug Administration is now able to authorize drugs to treat or prevent New World Screwworm infections in animals, under a declaration signed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Aug. 19.
The declaration gives the FDA the ability to issue emergency authorizations for the drugs against screwworm, a fly that has been infecting animals in Mexico in recent weeks. The parasite poses an emerging threat to livestock and food security, with “potential impacts on both national security and animal health,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Today we are taking decisive action to safeguard the nation’s food supply from this emerging threat,” Kennedy said in a statement. “This authorization equips FDA to act quickly, limit the spread of New World Screwworm, and protect America’s livestock.”…