In spite of efforts in recent months to reduce risks along the Texas-Mexico border in deep South Texas, state and federal officials are stepping up their war against fever ticks, according to Southwest Farm Press.
Horses, stray livestock and wildlife cross the Rio Grande into Texas bringing fever ticks carrying the dreaded Bovine babesiosis disease, a tick-borne, parasitic infection that causes significant mortality in cattle.
The fever ticks have advanced from the permanent quarantine zone and are now in the temporary preventive quarantine area (TPQA) in Cameron County. Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) is working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to protect domestic livestock herds.
“If they continue to move further into the state, they threaten not just the livestock industry in Texas but the larger industry nationwide, said Dawna Michalke, TAHC Region 3 inspector. “Within the blanket zone, we are responsible for having our hands on every head of livestock, every horse. We are going door-to-door trying to scratch every animal and spraying or dipping them as needed in an effort to drive these ticks back to the permanent quarantine zone.”