Horse selfies and calls to poison control: Bizarre Ivermectin craze hits B.C.
B.C. doctors and livestock businesses alike are bewildered to find themselves warning people not to take a veterinary medicine intended to treat intestinal worms in horses as a treatment for COVID-19.
Late Tuesday, the Public Health Agency of Canada warned that Ivermectin – which is carried by animal feed stores and typically sells in a large syringe as a thick ingestible liquid for $10 to $15 – is a medicine for horses and other livestock and not safe or approved for human use.
“The drugs used in veterinary medicine have not been tested on humans, are not proven to be safe in humans,” explained Dr. Jennifer Grant, an infectious disease and medical microbiology specialist at Vancouver Coastal Health.
"It can cause diarrhea, nausea, dizziness … at levels we would be using for animals it can actually cause seizures, neurologic failure and even death.”
Online message boards and groups touting the drug as an effective treatment for COVID-19 argue Ivermectin is a drug approved for people, but Grant points out human-approved Ivermectin is a different formulation and is only suitable for the treatment of life-threatening parasitic worms, which are rare in Canada.
Lab trials pitting the drug against the virus could not be replicated in real life since the quantities of the drug required to combat COVID-19 are not safe for people, she explained, and there’s no evidence it helps people sick with the virus. The Provincial Health Services Authority says nine British Columbians have called poison control after taking Ivermectin since March.
“If you have worms, it’s great for you,” said Grant. “If you have COVID, it really isn’t.”
FEED STORES REQUIRING PROOF OF LIVESTOCK
In a phenomenon seen across the U.S. and Canada, livestock feed and supply stores in B.C. are fielding inquiries about equine Ivermectin and have been screening potential customers as the drug is not approved or safe for human use.
"If they don't have a picture of their horse, they probably don't have a horse – and or they don't know how big their horse is, if they don't know what kind of horse they own,” said Megan Wilton of Westway Feed and Seed in Delta.
The store’s “horse selfie” test has allowed it to politely turn away customers and preserve the medication for those that need it. Livestock like pigs and cows need the de-worming medication regularly, with horses needing an Ivermectin treatment three to four times a year.
"There is a shortage of (veterinary) Ivermectin now; all our suppliers are out of stock," said Wilton. “We’ve had people asking for months, but demand this last month has been silly."
‘YOU ARE NOT A HORSE,’ BUT YOU ARE TARGETED BY MISINFORMATION
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control approached the Ivermectin situation with humour, tweeting: “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it.”
Misinformation experts point out that the wrong and misleading social media posts pushing the use of Ivermectin or other unproven treatments aren’t typically motivated by altruism.
“Those currently promoting Ivermectin are taking advantage of the public’s understandable skepticism about pharmaceutical companies – and in some cases the government – to grow their own audiences and in some cases to hawk their own alternative products,” explained Devon Greyson, assistant professor at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health.
“There are very good reasons that we have government regulators who review the evidence and submissions from pharmaceutical companies,” they added.
Greyson said disinformation merchants have identified the pandemic as a key marketing opportunity to promote their views, and have often been entangled in right-wing media.
“It’s important to note, though, that many of these right-wing media companies and hosts themselves have been following public health recommendations, such as getting vaccinated – even as they cast doubt on these recommenations to their audience,” Greyson said.
The BC Pharmacy Association tells CTV News it has not seen shortages or demand for the human-approved drug from COVID-19 patients. The association continues to follow guidelines to avoid using approved drugs off-label as experimental treatments for the coronavirus without any evidence they’re safe or effective in that context.
“We have to remember chocolate is toxic for dogs and great for people and just because it’s good for an animal really doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for a person,” added Grant. “The best way to prevent yourself from needing any sort of care for COVID is to get your vaccination … it is over 90 per cent effective in preventing the need for hospitalization and far more effective than Ivermectin has ever proven to be.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.