Texas Cattle Raisers Support Proposed Change on Fever Tick Rule

AUSTIN — The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) submitted comments to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) in support of a proposed rule change relating to the dipping, treatment and vaccination of animals for cattle fever ticks.
“The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association has been a strong proponent for more attainable cattle fever tick regulations,” said president Richard Thorpe. “Overly burdensome requirements are detrimental to ranching operations and eradication efforts. We commend TAHC for their progress on the issue.”
The proposed rule change will allow Designated Fever Tick Epidemiologists to approve less stringent treatment and inspection regulations. Permitting requirements that are more achievable for ranchers will allow them to better eradicate cattle fever while continuing to raise livestock in affected areas.
Cattle fever ticks are responsible for transmitting Bovine Babesiosis, more commonly referred to as Cattle Fever. This parasitic infection can cause significant illness often resulting in the death of livestock. The presence of cattle fever ticks pose a significant cattle health threat and could harm the U.S. cattle market and international trade if not controlled.
Cattle fever ticks were functionally eradicated from the U.S. by 1943. Since that time TAHC and USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have cooperatively maintained a “buffer zone” that extends more than 500 miles from Del Rio, Texas to the Gulf of Mexico.
To view the full comments submitted to TAHC, click here.
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TSCRA is a 140-year-old trade association and is the largest and oldest livestock organization based in Texas. TSCRA has more than 17,500 beef cattle operations, ranching families and businesses as members. These members represent approximately 55,000 individuals directly involved in ranching and beef production who manage 4 million head of cattle on 76 million acres of range and pasture land primarily in Texas and Oklahoma, but throughout the Southwest.
For more TSCRA news releases, visit tscra.org.