Leaders Urge FDA Approval for Vital Cattle Medication
R CALF USA is calling for emergency action to help cattle producers fight a dangerous and fast growing disease. In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, the organization asks for immediate approval of a medicine called buparvaquone.
The goal is to give veterinarians a safe and effective option to treat cattle infected with theileriosis, a serious disease spread by the invasive Asian longhorned tick.
Theileriosis has been spreading in the United States since the tick first appeared in 2017. The tick has now been found in many states across the East Coast, the South, and the Midwest.
Producers can currently use pesticides to control ticks, but there is no approved medicine available in the country to treat infected cattle once the disease is present.
R CALF leaders explain that buparvaquone is widely used in other parts of the world. Countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Pacific Island regions have used this medication for years.
It is considered safe and effective when used under proper guidelines. The organization also suggests that longer withdrawal times could be required to protect food safety if needed.
The letter stresses the emotional and financial losses producers face when they cannot treat infected cattle. Watching healthy animals die because no legal treatment exists is devastating for farmers and ranchers. The group warns that theileriosis continues to rise and now poses a major threat to the cattle industry.
R CALF USA urges federal officials to respond quickly so veterinarians have access to a tool that could save cattle lives and protect herd health nationwide.