RFK Jr. grants FDA emergency powers to fast-track screwworm drugs as deadly parasite threatens America’s livestock industry and food security.
Story Highlights
- Health Secretary RFK Jr. signed emergency declaration enabling FDA to authorize screwworm drugs without standard approval delays
- New World Screwworm has spread from Panama through Central America into Mexico, threatening U.S. border
- Federal agencies coordinate massive response including border closures and $850 million funding to protect livestock
- Parasitic fly larvae feed on living animal tissue, potentially causing billions in economic losses if established in U.S.
Emergency Authority Granted to Combat Growing Threat
On August 19, 2025, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed a critical declaration empowering the FDA to issue emergency authorizations for drugs treating New World Screwworm infections in animals. The declaration allows the FDA to bypass standard regulatory timelines that can delay access to veterinary treatments, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kennedy emphasized the authorization equips FDA to act quickly and protect America’s livestock from this devastating parasite. The emergency powers represent the first use of such authorization specifically targeting New World Screwworm, demonstrating the severity of the current crisis.
Deadly Parasite Advances Toward U.S. Border
The New World Screwworm, a parasitic fly eliminated from the United States in 1966, has broken through containment barriers and spread aggressively northward. After re-emerging above Panama’s biological barrier in 2022, cases exploded from 25 to over 6,500 annually in Panama by 2023. The parasite’s larvae infest wounds of warm-blooded animals, feeding on living tissue and causing severe, often fatal damage to livestock, wildlife, and pets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has warned that unchecked spread of the parasite could endanger livestock and disrupt food supply chains if it crosses the border.
Multi-Agency Response Mobilizes Federal Resources
The Trump administration has launched an unprecedented multi-agency response involving HHS, USDA, FDA, EPA, DOE, CBP, and CDC to prevent screwworm establishment on U.S. soil. USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced the largest initiative yet, with $850 million allocated to combat the threat through surveillance, research, and containment measures. Border closures to cattle, bison, and horses from Mexico remain in effect since May 11, 2025, protecting American livestock from contamination. According to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, the initiative represents the largest coordinated response to the screwworm threat in U.S. history, with federal agencies aligning resources to protect national food security.
Economic Stakes Drive Urgent Action
The American Veterinary Medical Association and the U.S. Farm Bureau Federation have identified New World Screwworm as a leading animal health and food security concern for 2025, warning that potential losses could reach billions of dollars if the parasite establishes itself in the U.S. The livestock industry faces immediate disruption from Mexican cattle import restrictions, affecting feedlot supplies and market prices nationwide. Rural communities dependent on agriculture experience heightened anxiety as producers implement enhanced biosecurity measures at increased costs. The emergency drug authorization provides hope for rapid treatment development, but success depends on swift implementation and continued vigilance along vulnerable border regions.
The federal government’s proactive response under President Trump’s administration showcases decisive leadership in protecting American agriculture from foreign biological threats. Unlike previous administrations that might have delayed action through bureaucratic processes, this coordinated effort prioritizes national food security and economic stability. Agricultural policy experts at the Council on Foreign Relations add that the use of emergency FDA powers reflects a broader trend of governments adopting faster regulatory mechanisms in response to animal health threats.
Sources:
New World Screwworm Moves Beyond Containment Threshold – American Farm Bureau
USDA Announces Sweeping Plans to Protect United States from New World Screwworm
New World Screwworm Outbreak in Central America – APHIS
Screwworm Threat Halts Cattle Imports from Mexico – Mississippi State Extension
New World Screwworm Information – North Carolina Department of Agriculture