To combat the increasing threat of cattle fever tick infestations in Texas and protect the nation’s cattle industry, U.S. Representative Monica De La Cruz (R-TX) and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) have reintroduced the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program Enhancement Act in Congress.
If passed, the bill would require U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, a Texas native, to contract with a land-grant or non-land-grant agricultural college to assess the effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program.
With the rise in infestations, the legislation highlights the need for continuous monitoring and improvement of eradication efforts. It also mandates a report with recommendations for enhancing the program.
Cattle fever ticks present a significant risk to ranchers in Texas and across the country, leading to economic losses and potential disruptions to the beef supply chain. Strengthening the eradication program aims to mitigate these risks and bolster response strategies.
De La Cruz, one of two Texans on the House Agriculture Committee, considers passing this bill a priority. She emphasized that protecting cattle health ensures herd sustainability and prevents price increases for consumers.
The bill has bipartisan support in the House, with Representatives Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) and Jake Ellzey (R-TX) as co-sponsors. In the Senate, Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) has joined as a co-sponsor. The legislation is endorsed by the Texas Farm Bureau and the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
According to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), cattle fever ticks are a major concern for the U.S. cattle industry. These ticks can transmit protozoa such as Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina, which cause cattle fever. The disease leads to severe anemia, high fever, and organ enlargement, with a mortality rate of up to 90% in vulnerable cattle.
Although cattle fever ticks were largely eradicated from the U.S. by the 1940s, a permanent quarantine zone remains along the Texas-Mexico border to prevent infected animals from entering the country. The USDA and TAHC work with government agencies, industry groups, ranchers, and hunters in the Rio Grande Valley to manage and contain the disease, minimizing its impact on the cattle industry.
