Fever Tick Quarantine Affects Maverick, Dimmit and Webb Counties
News Release from the Texas Animal Health Commission
For the second time this summer, the fever tick quarantine zone along the Rio Grande has been temporarily expanded by the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), the state’s livestock and poultry health regulatory agency. Portions of Maverick, Dimmit and Webb counties are included in this latest expansion of the quarantine zone. As of August 2, 2007, livestock moved from the quarantined area must first be manually inspected for fever ticks, then be dipped, and permitted for movement by personnel from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Fever Tick Force or the TAHC. In early July, the TAHC expanded the fever tick quarantine area in Starr County.
The new temporary preventive quarantined area begins in Eagle Pass (Maverick County) at the junction of FM 1021 (Mines Road) and Highway 277, and continues southeasterly on Highway 277 to its intersection with Highway 83 in Carrizo Springs (Dimmit County). The boundary line follows Highway 83 to its intersection with FM 2688, and then continues on this road to its junction with the Mines Road (FM 1021). The area is bounded to the west by Mines Road (FM 1021) from its junction with FM 2688 in Webb County to its intersection with Highway 277 in Eagle Pass.
To arrange for livestock inspection and/or dipping, ranchers should call the Eagle Pass office of the USDA’s Fever Tick Force at 830-773-5542 or 830-773-5565, or contact supervisor Alonzo Zambrano at 830-776-0061.
“We are establishing this temporary preventive quarantine area to stop the spread of the fever ticks and to eliminate fever tick infestation in the area. Several premises within Maverick and Dimmit counties have been found to be infested with fever ticks. A portion of Webb County is included in the quarantine, due its close proximity to known tick-infested premises,” explained Dr. Bob Hillman, TAHC executive director and Texas’ state veterinarian.
If not contained, the fever ticks will continue to spread northward outside the permanent fever tick quarantine area and could become re-established in other areas of Texas and throughout much of the south, southeast and parts of California. In addition to cattle, horses, white-tailed deer, Nilgai and elk can act as a host for the tick, perpetuating its population.
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.
“It took more than 50 years to eradicate fever ticks from the U.S.,” he said. A permanent fever tick quarantine zone runs through eight South Texas counties along the Rio Grande to prevent the reintroduction of the ticks into Texas and the U.S. This zone is managed by the USDA’s Fever Tick Force. Livestock moved from the narrow permanent quarantine zone always must be inspected, dipped and permitted prior to movement. Tick inspections also are conducted at South Texas livestock markets.
When tick-infested livestock are detected, the ranch and its animals are quarantined. Owners can choose to have their cattle inspected and dipped every seven to 14 days for nine months, or the livestock can be dipped repeatedly, until declared tick-free and moved to a new site outside the quarantine area, leaving the infested pasture “vacated” for nine months, causing the ticks to starve. Wildlife hosts - deer and other hoofstock - are capable of maintaining fever ticks, so these animals may need to be treated with medicated feed.
The Fever Tick Force also maintains vigilance along the permanent quarantine zone to apprehend, inspect and dip stray livestock from Mexico, where the fever tick and the disease, “Texas Fever,” still exists. Owners may reclaim their animals by paying a nominal feed bill. Among the stringent health requirements for livestock shipments from Mexico are fever tick inspection and dipping. If an animal in a shipment is found to have fever ticks, the entire shipment is rejected until it can be re-dipped and inspected.
“Keeping the fever tick out of Texas and the U.S. is critical to disease control and the ability to move animals without restrictions,” said Dr. Hillman. “This temporary preventive fever tick quarantine is essential for containment and for rapid elimination of fever ticks from the outbreak area. The provisions of the quarantine will be released as soon as possible.”
Rain Might Hurt Hay Quality Says Cattle Raisers
By Betsy Blaney / Associated Press
Courtesy of the AP News Wires and San Antonio Express News Web site
Texas ranchers yearned for two years for greener pastures. Now with the drought behind them, ranchers and hay producers in some parts of the state are hampered by frequent rains that are keeping them out of fields.
In central and southeast Texas, the forage grasses have continued growing in fields because of the wet conditions. That translates to very mature hay that is lower in protein and higher in fiber.
Even when hay has been cut, ranchers or farmers have been prevented from baling it because of more rainfall that leaves the hay to soak in puddly fields.
"The rainfall will ruin it," said Wayne Thompson, a Texas Cooperative Extension agent in Harris County. "And if they do bale it (when it's too wet), it can mold." Read more on the San Antonio Express News Web site.
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