FDA Clears Nitenpyram for Pets in 7 Screwworm Cases as Beef Risks Mount
Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jun 11
FDA Clears Nitenpyram for Pets in 7 Screwworm Cases as Beef Risks Mount
3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jun 11
Summary
Generic Nitenpyram tablets won emergency FDA approval for over-the-counter use in dogs, puppies, cats and kittens infected with New World screwworm.
Seven cases have been confirmed since May in Texas and New Mexico—affecting cattle, goats and a dog—after the parasite resurfaced near the Mexico border in a 3-week-old calf.
Officials and industry leaders have tied the renewed threat to cuts in U.S.-funded Central America monitoring and the resumption of cattle imports from Mexico without that surveillance.
The outbreak threatens a U.S. cattle herd already at a 75-year low, with beef prices up about 75% since December 2020 and USDA estimating a 1976-scale outbreak could cause $1.8 billion in damage.
Containment now includes quarantines, movement controls, border fly trapping and sterile-fly releases, while a $750 million Texas sterile-fly facility is not expected to open until at least 2027.
With a permanent fix years away, can current measures contain a parasite threatening an already fragile U.S. beef supply?
As a flesh-eating parasite returns, how can the US rebuild the international biosecurity wall that once protected its livestock?
With human cases confirmed south of the border, is the U.S. prepared for this flesh-eating parasite to infect people?
Over 148,000 Animals Infected: FDA Approves Emergency Screwworm Treatment as U.S. Faces Major Outbreak
Overview
On June 11, 2026, the FDA took urgent action against the New World screwworm outbreak by issuing an Emergency Use Authorization for Nitenpyram, making it available over the counter for treating infestations in dogs and cats. This move gives pet owners and veterinarians a fast, accessible way to fight a parasite whose larvae enter through wounds and cause severe tissue damage. The emergency approval is part of a broader, accelerated response to protect animal health, highlighting the importance of rapid intervention and coordinated efforts to control this dangerous threat to pets and livestock.