Gonzalez joins fight against fever ticks

LIVE OAK COUNTY – Local producers who are on the front lines of the ongoing cattle fever tick eradication program here now have an ally in Washington.

U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-15), who was elected in November to succeed former Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, was the guest speaker at Thursday's lunch meeting of the Live Oak County chapter of the Texas Farm Bureau. Gonzalez said that while the federal budget for fever-tick eradication efforts has been increased from $9 million to $12 million, more is needed.

"It seems like we're just putting a Band Aid on the problem, never getting to the root of it," he said.

Gonzalez also believes Congress needs to create a mechanism that would allow better treatment of wildlife on federal lands, an effort that will have to involve the U.S. Department of the Interior.

"Besides getting onto these federal properties, we need to engage the government of Mexico to address the root of the problem," he said. "The cattle industry in their northern states is not organized."

Partnership with Mexico is key in the efforts to minimize the threat posed by cattle fever ticks. The nation long has been a source of the disease as infested cattle wander across the Rio Grande and infect exposed American herds. Unlike their counterparts in the United States, cattle in Northern Mexico are exposed to Babesia bovis – a tick-borne parasite that leads to cattle fever. While harmless to humans and pets, the disease can be fatal to cows and other hosts including whitetail deer, red deer, Nilgai antelope and horses.

In Tamulipas – which borders Texas cities including McAllen and Brownsville – Gonzalez said efforts are under way to organize the cattle associations. Chihuahua is the northern state where the industry is least fragmented, but it is not recognized as a source of the fever tick problem.

Task force

In addition to local producers, farmers and ranchers from other areas of South Texas also joined in the discussion. Among them were Scott Frazier, a farm bureau state representative from Corpus Christi, who is among those forming a fever-tick task force.

"I told [Texas Farm Bureau] President Scott Boening I'm tired of going up there and fussing about the situation but not really having any answers," Frazier said. "We're working on the task force so we can get some answers and we need help from fish and wildlife."

Gonzalez said he wanted the group to share whatever plan they devise, so that he might incorporate it into a larger Congressional strategy. This, he said could be included in the 2018 Farm Bill, on which discussions will begin soon.

Live Oak County update

Dr. Brodie Miller, a veterinarian with the Texas Animal Health Commission said Monday that Live Oak County's fever-tick quarantine area remains unchanged since March, with nine properties – three of which are vacant – considered to be infested. Livestock from these properties continue to be treated according protocol. Barring any complications, this phase of the eradication program could end by December.

Deer continue to be fed Ivermectin-treated corn from 105 feeders in the quarantine area. However, this phase of the program will end Aug. 1, to allow a 60-day withdraw period before the start of hunting season. All deer harvested from the quarantine area will need to be checked for fever ticks, Miller said.

The dipping vat – which Gonzalez visited Thursday – continues to be successful in aiding in the curbing of fever-tick spread. Miller said that while there have been no new infestations in Live Oak County. Cows and bulls from all over South Texas, which are sold locally, are scratched and dipped prior to leaving the premises.

Webb County

Thanks to Live Oak County's dipping vat fever ticks were discovered in May on some cattle from Webb County. The animals originated from a pasture in an area not initially known to have cattle fever ticks. The premises were quarantined and inspected.

"We discovered them early because of the dipping vat," Miller said. "The area of infestation was in Webb and Zapata counties. The early detection saved taxpayers in those areas millions of dollars."

Another dipping vat since has been opened at the Gulf Coast Livestock Market on U.S. 281 in Alice. Cattle sold on Tuesday nights are scratched and dipped there, Miller said.