Mississippi officials warn against using anti-parasite drug to treat COVID amid uptick in calls to poison control

The Mississippi State Department of Health issued an alert Friday warning against using an anti-parasite drug to treat or prevent COVID-19. The alert came as calls to the state poison control center have increased, with at least 70% being related to ingesting ivermectin – a drug commonly used for livestock.

"I certainly would strongly recommend people not take any medicine from a feed store or a veterinary source," Mississippi Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Wednesday at a COVID-19 briefing. "It can be dangerous." Ivermectin is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat humans with intestinal complications caused by parasitic worms and for topical use to treat conditions like head lice and rosacea. The drug is also commonly used to prevent heartworm disease and other parasites in animals. Ivermectin is not approved or recommended by the FDA to treat or prevent COVID-19 in humans.