FDA gives emergency approval to screwworm over-the-counter pet drug

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted emergency use authorization to a generic over-the-counter tablet to treat New World screwworm in dogs and cats, the first generic animal drug authorized for use against the parasite.

The authorization comes as officials in Texas and New Mexico confirmed at least seven cases of screwworm in cattle, a dog and a goat. They were the first domestic cases in decades, as the U.S. has successfully eradicated the screwworm in the 1960s.

New World screwworm is a fly whose larvae feed ‌on living tissue of warm blooded animals. It enters through open wounds and burrows into the flesh, causing severe wounds and animal suffering if not detected and treated quickly.

The insect is a notorious for devastating the........

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