Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to immediately authorize the use of ivermectin in medicated livestock feed, saying Texas ranchers need every proven tool available to stop the rapidly expanding New World screwworm outbreak. The Texas Department of Agriculture announced the request in a July 1 news release.
The request, submitted on behalf of the Texas Grain and Feed Association, seeks an Emergency Use Authorization allowing ivermectin to be incorporated into medicated feed and mineral supplements for cattle and other susceptible livestock. According to the agency, feed-based ivermectin would also provide the only practical means of protecting free-ranging deer and other warm-blooded wildlife from the destructive parasite.
“Texas ranchers are fighting for their livelihoods and the security of the American food supply. They don’t have time to wait,” Commissioner Miller said in the release. “We’ve already seen this parasite spread across multiple Texas counties in just a few weeks. Every day we delay is another day the New World screwworm gains ground. We need every effective weapon available, and we need it now.”
While Miller praised the FDA’s recent emergency authorization allowing the use of injectable ivermectin, he said the current approach is not sufficient for the realities of large-scale Texas ranching. “Feed-based ivermectin would allow producers to protect entire herds quickly, efficiently, and with far less stress on both livestock and producers,” he said, adding that producers cannot be expected to round up and inject thousands of free-range cattle every few weeks while the outbreak continues to expand.
The department is urging the FDA to authorize the use of ivermectin in medicated feed, establish appropriate dosing and withdrawal guidelines, and expedite its review in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Texas Grain and Feed Association has committed to rapidly manufacture and distribute medicated feed upon approval, the agency said. “The infrastructure is already in place,” Miller said. “Our feed manufacturers are ready. Our producers are ready. The only thing standing in the way is federal approval.”
Miller has consistently called on federal officials to pursue what he describes as an “all-of-the-above” strategy against the New World screwworm, including expanded sterile fly production, enhanced surveillance, aggressive treatment protocols, and additional emergency authorizations for proven livestock products. The commissioner’s letter was addressed to FDA Acting Commissioner Kyla Diamantes, according to the release.