Australian imports of ivermectin increase tenfold, prompting warning from TGA

The drug, used to deworm livestock, has been touted among rightwing media as a Covid treatment, prompting the US FDA to tweet You are not a cow'

• Follow our Covid live blog for the latest updates
• Hotspots: NSW; Vic; Qld
• Vaccine rollout tracker; get our free news app; get our morning email briefing

A national shortage and tenfold increase in Australians importing ivermectin in August has sparked a warning from the Therapeutic Goods Administration against the use of the medicine, which is typically used to deworm livestock, as a treatment for Covid-19.

Amid growing reports in the United States in recent weeks of people calling poison information hotlines over self-medicating with ivermectin as a treatment for Covid-19, a spokesperson for the TGA told Guardian Australia there had been a massive increase in people bringing the drug into Australia.