FDA green lights more screwworm medications: Should you give them to your pets?

# Why This Matters The FDA's emergency authorization of new screwworm treatments marks a critical shift in how the U.S. manages an agricultural crisis that threatens billions of dollars in livestock value across the Southwest and potentially beyond. Screwworm infestations—parasitic fly larvae that burrow into animal flesh and cause severe infection or death—have historically been controlled through a decades-old sterile insect technique, but the parasite's rapid northward expansion into Texas and other border states has outpaced that strategy's effectiveness. For livestock producers and pet owners alike, access to approved medications could mean the difference between saving an animal and losing it to a preventable parasitic infection, though the expansion of treatment options also creates new questions about appropriate use, resistance development, and whether these drugs will actually reach animals in remote ranching areas where they're most needed. The real economic impact extends far beyond individual farms: a major screwworm outbreak could trigger quarantines, export restrictions, and veterinary supply chain disruptions that ripple through meat and dairy production nationwide.