The Food and Drug Administration had a simple message for Americans: Stop using a drug intended for getting rid of worms in livestock to treat or prevent COVID-19. “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it,” the FDA tweeted from its official account. The federal agency issued its warning due to numerous reports of patients who were hospitalized “after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for horses.” Although the use of Ivermectin in humans is approved for certain ailments that doesn’t mean humans can safely take drugs meant for animals. “Animal drugs are often highly concentrated because they are used for large animals like horses and cows, which can weigh a lot more than we do,” the FDA warned. “Such high doses can be highly toxic in humans.”

The warning from the FDA came as Mississippi officials are expressing particular concern that the state with the second-lowest vaccination rate in the country is seeing a surge in people seeking medical assistance for ivermectin poisoning. One person was hospitalized this week for ingesting the medication meant for animals. “Please don’t do that,” State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs said, characterizing it as a “kind of crazy” act.