FDA Issues Warning Letters Following Fungal Contamination in a Veterinary Product Linked to Serious Infections in Nearly 100 Horses

At least 20 of the horses had to be humanely euthanized

September 29, 2026

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued warning letters to Neogen Corporation and Sciarra Aeromed, Inc., following an investigation that linked a veterinary wound care product labeled as sterile, Neogen Vet HYCOAT (hyaluronate sodium sterile solution), to serious infections and deaths in horses. This incident involved at least 20 horse deaths, making it the largest number of horse deaths ever associated with a quality defect in an FDA-regulated veterinary medical product and the most deaths of any animal species linked to microbiological contamination of an FDA-regulated product labeled as sterile. Neogen initiated a voluntary recall of HYCOAT in late January 2026.

Total fatalities reflect only those deaths reported to the FDA. The total number of affected horses only includes cases reported to the FDA with sufficient identification to confirm each as a unique case. To date, the FDA has not been informed of the final case outcome for many of the injured horses.

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