A more potent form of fentanyl is contributing to the thousands of overdose deaths that happen every year, health officials warn.

An extremely powerful derivative of fentanyl, called carfentanil, was detected in 513 overdose deaths between 2021and early 2024, according to a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Carfentanil was designed to tranquilize large animals and is estimated to be 10,000 times stronger than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl.

Just 2 milligrams is needed to tranquilize an elephant; that same amount is powerful enough to kill 50 people

Overdose death connected to carfentanil spiked in the latter half of 202, jumping from 29 to 175 by December a roughly 503 percent increase.