At Western Farm Center in Santa Rosa, owner Trevor Frampton has run out of injectable ivermectin, a drug he says his customers normally use to treat intestinal worms in pigs and cows.

Frampton said he’s got the anti-parasitic drug on back order and he doesn’t know how long it will take to get more. He said he suspects some people may be buying it to treat or prevent their COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

“It’s sold out and is on manufacturer back-order for who knows how long and I don't it have any more,” Frampton said. “So now if somebody has a pig or a cow that is in need because they have intestinal worms, I have no way to treat that animal.”

Ivermectin is the latest in a string of so-called “rogue remedies” for COVID-19. Like hydroxychloroquine, it is an untested treatment that has been embraced primarily by people who say they don’t trust the process that created the available vaccines.

Just last week celebrity podcast host Joe Rogan, who has more than 7 million Twitter followers, said he believed ivermectin helped him recover from his bout with COVID-19, a claim that most medical professionals dismiss.

The recent uptick in sales of ivermectin, a phenomenon seen around the country, has local health officials warning against its use as an antiviral drug. Several feed store owners this week said they’ve seen a steady stream of local residents who don’t own livestock looking to buy the product.

Frampton said he and his staff at the Railroad Square feed store have tried to discourage people from purchasing the drug for that purpose. Frampton has put up “COVID-19 Alert” signs from the drug manufacturer Durvet, warning people that the drug is not approved for treating COVID-19.

The sign lists a number of Durvet products that contain the active ingredient ivermectin, including Ivermectin Equine Dewormer, Ivermectin Sheep Drench, Ivermectin Pour On, Ivermectin Injection and Ivermectin Plus Injection.

“Despite media reports that ivermectin could potentially be used to treat people with COVID-19, these products are not safe or approved for human use, which could cause severe personal injury or death,” the label reads.

People who are buying ivermectin for themselves, Frampton said, are hurting “animals that have a legitimate need for this because they are causing shortage. And it doesn't work for them and they shouldn't be taking it, and now they're affecting our local farmers’ livestock.”

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, ivermectin tablets are approved for humans only at very specific doses to treat some parasitic worms. The topical use of some ivermectin has been approved for treating head lice and skin conditions like rosacea.

On its website, the FDA said it’s received “multiple reports of patients who have required medical attention, including hospitalization, after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for livestock.”

You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it. https://t.co/TWb75xYEY4

A health advisory issued in late August by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said retail pharmacy prescriptions of ivermectin have soared from about 33,000 a week before the pandemic to 88,000 for the week ending Aug. 13.

The CDC’s advisory cited recent examples of calls to U.S. poison control centers, including one case where a man drank injectable ivermectin to prevent COVID-19 infection. “This patient presented to a hospital with confusion, drowsiness, visual hallucinations, tachypnea (abnormally rapid breathing), and tremors. The patient recovered after being hospitalized for nine days,” the CDC said.

In another case, the CDC said an adult ingested five ivermectin tablets of unknown strength purchased on the internet for five days as a COVID-19 treatment. “The patient was disoriented and had difficulty answering questions and following commands,” the CDC said. “Symptoms improved with discontinuation of ivermectin after hospital admission.”

The FDA said current available studies do not show that ivermectin is effective against COVID-19, and clinical trials assessing ivermectin tablets for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 in people are ongoing.

Officials as Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital and Providence, Sonoma County, which runs hospitals Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Healdsburg, said they’ve not seen any cases of involving the misuse of ivermectin.

Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase said there is currently no data that shows ivermectin is an effective treatment for COVID-19. Instead, she said, it can be dangerous.

Medication that is prescribed for animals involves a completely different “formulation” that what is appropriate for people, and even doses for people in the treatment of parasitic illnesses can have side effects.

“It could be dangerous, it’s not recommended and that’s the bottom line,” Mase said, adding that there are currently no approved over-the-counter cures for COVID-19.

Treatments for COVID-19 are largely limited to people with severe illness who are hospitalized, she said. These include monoclonal antibody treatment, plasma transfusion and drugs like remdesivir, all of which must be prescribed by a doctor, she said.

Don Benson, owner at Rivertown Feed & Pet Country Store in Petaluma, said he started seeing more people coming in to buy ivermectin a few months ago, when discussion of the drug as a COVID-19 treatment surfaced on the internet.

He said he tries to discourage people from buying the drug if he suspects their intent is to take it themselves for COVID-19.

“We don’t want people to harm themselves,” he said. “We try to discourage people from that train of thought.”

Frampton, the owner of Western Farm Center, said he’s concerned some people who try to use ivermectin intended for animals to treat their COVID-19 illness might find themselves taking too much. He said most horses, for example, weigh between 900 and 1,000 pounds and some doses for ivermectin start at 250 pounds.

“Unless you’re a 250 pound person, you’re OD-ing on the first dose,” he said.

Frampton said the ivermectin products they sell are intended for animal use that have only been tested in livestock and horses, not in humans. “They don’t know what the inactive ingredients are going to do to them,” he said.

Though he tries to discourage people from using ivermectin for treating COVID-19, some people are “hellbent” in using it.

“If they want it, go to a doctor and get it,” he said. “There’s the reason doctors are probably not just prescribing it. Not because there’s a big ivermectin cabal out to control the world. It’s probably because it’s not to treat COVID … don’t take medicine that’s rated for use in horses and goats. Be smart.”

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.

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