Topic: Update on fever tick quarantine in South Texas
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Update on fever tick quarantine in South Texas
By Bob Hillman, DVM
The temporary preventive fever tick quarantine zone in south Texas' Starr County has been enlarged by nearly 24,000 acres, after fever ticks were found on a premises outside the county's quarantine zone. Inspectors have used livestock market records to locate the 94 head of cattle sold by the ranch March 28.
Using livestock market records, inspectors have contacted the nine initial buyers of the cattle, which are considered to be tick-exposed or infested. The animals are being quarantined, inspected and treated to eliminate the spread of fever ticks. Due to cattle movement, three livestock markets also are being subjected to cleaning and disinfection.
The United States Department of Agriculture's Tick Force and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) also is conducting an epidemiological investigation to identify and locate any other cattle that have been moved from the premises during the past year, so the animals can be inspected, treated and, if necessary, quarantined.
Fever ticks are capable of carrying ``babesia,'' a blood parasite that can cause ``cattle tick fever,'' a deadly cattle disease that does not affect humans. The tick was eradicated from the US in l943, but it is still present in Mexico. USDA Tick Force personnel on horseback patrol a permanent quarantine zone on the United States side of the Rio Grande to prevent the introduction of ``ticky animals.''
In 2007, the fever tick was detected beyond the permanent quarantine, and three temporary fever tick quarantine areas were established in Starr and Zapata counties, and in a contiguous area of Maverick, Dimmit and Webb counties.
``Discovering that fever ticks have pushed outside the temporary preventive quarantine area is very serious and the situation is being addressed with great urgency by the TAHC and USDA Tick Force,'' said
Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas' state veterinarian and head of the TAHC, the state's livestock and poultry health regulatory agency. ``The TAHC has expanded the temporary quarantine area in Starr County that originally encompassed about 40,000 acres, and the USDA Tick Force is inspecting and treating cattle within the newly enlarged temporary quarantine area to determine the extent of tick spread,'' Hillman continued.
``Additionally, we are conducting a complete epidemiological investigation to find cattle moved within the previous year from newly detected tick-infested premises,'' said Hillman. ``Without identification on animals, it will slow the process, but we use every method available, from sale barn, feedlot and slaughter plant records, to recollections and hearsay from cattle owners.''
Last year, the TAHC and USDA successfully traced 783 cattle moved from premises involved in Maverick, Dimmit and Webb County temporary quarantine areas, he said.
Hillman asked for cattle owner cooperation to speed up the investigation process. ``We will move as quickly as possible to locate, inspect and, if needed, treat and quarantine cattle,'' said Hillman.
Animals may be moved legally from or within the permanent or temporary fever tick quarantine areas only after they are inspected for fever ticks, dipped or sprayed and permitted for movement by Tick Force or TAHC personnel.''
According to Hillman, fever ticks have adapted to white-tailed deer, nilgai, and elk, axis, fallow deer and aoudad sheep within the quarantine zones. ``Although we can dip or spray cattle, treatment for other species is limited to feeding ivormec-laced corn,'' he said, adding, ``However, we cannot be certain all animals get the medicated feed, and the treatment cannot be used during hunting season, as there is a 60-day withdrawal period before slaughter.'' To prevent spreading fever ticks from quarantine zones during hunting season, hides of harvested animals were inspected before being hauled away.
``Producers in the quarantined areas have been cooperative, but they are being hit financially, absorbing the cost of rounding up cattle time and again,'' Hillman stressed. ``Although inspections and treatment are provided at no cost to the producer, the cost of gathering cattle in the south Texas' brush country can be high. Extending the Starr County quarantine will take in additional ranches, but this action is necessary, if we are to win the battle against this pest.''
Hillman said there is one bright spot in the battle against fever ticks in Dimmit County. ``After thoroughly inspecting livestock in the area, the USDA Tick Force has determined a small area of the temporary quarantine in Dimmit County is fever tick-free and can be excluded from the temporary quarantine zone.''
david1097
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3662
posted
There have been human cases reported. I wish they would remove the misinformation.
I guess they figure its just to bad for the poor smuck who gets infected.
Posts: 1184 | From north america | Registered: Feb 2003
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blinkie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14470
posted
So, I'm confused. It there a new illness called "tick fever" or is it babesia and they are referring to it as "tick fever"?
Also, I bet whatever it is will be found far and wide as they "extend" the inspections.
I agree about the misinformation. But then, they can't allow the farm industry to crash by putting fear into people, now could they? What a joke.
Posts: 1104 | From N.California | Registered: Jan 2008
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
This is actually an old illness that was thought to have been eradicated. Obviously...not so.
'Tick fever' or 'Cattle tick fever' or 'Texas fever' or 'Bovine babesia' is caused by 2 agents:
Babesia bigemia and/or Babesia bovis
From what I understand, there are two ticks that carry these pathogens:
"Fever ticks are capable of carrying and transmitting a protozoa or tiny blood parasite that destroys red blood cells, causing the deadly livestock disease, "Texas Fever." Cattle are highly susceptible to "Texas Fever," and the disease may kill up to 90 percent of infected cattle."
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