Texas Animal Health Commission Matt Cochran Emergency Management Veterinarian

Fever Tick Eradication: Cattle, deer & exotic livestock issues

Fever ticks prefer cattle, but horses and several species of wildlife are effective hosts.

Elk Wildlife: Effective Hosts for Fever Ticks Nilgai Red deer Axis, Fallow, Aoudad? White-tail Elk Nilgai

Fever Tick Working Group Meeting Laredo - March 19, 2009 Updated on program successes and challenges Discussed program needs Made suggestions for improvement to fever tick programs and achievement of additional surveillance

Area Surveillance Scratch and dip all cattle moving through seven South Texas markets Establish a Control Purpose Quarantine outside the current quarantine areas and scratch and dip all cattle leaving the area

Working Group Recommendation Do not create a new surveillance area or require inspection and treatment at markets The highest risk for fever ticks should be those lands and animals in the Free areas near the Blanket and Systematic Quarantine lines Increase surveillance in cattle and wildlife in these areas

Total Cattle Fever Tick Infestations FY 1995 – May 19, 2009 132 115 120 100 80 60 40 These numbers are overall including both Free and Systematic infestations. 20 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 5/19/09

Since 2007: Acres under temporary tick quarantine: 122 new infested premises detected since Oct. 1, 08 Maverick, Dimmit and Webb ---  622,560 acres USDA new funding: $4.9 million Jan. 09 Permanent quarantine zone (red) Zapata, Starr, Jim Hogg ---  423,509 acres Acres under permanent fever tick quarantine: Del Rio to Brownsville --- 500,000 acres

247,388 acres remain in Temporary Quarantine Area Remaining quarantine released in Webb, Dimmit, Maverick Temporary Quarantine Area Remaining quarantine includes 28 premimses Release includes 255 premises

FY 2009 – Federal FY 2008 132 NEW infested premises 115 infestations 47 68 Federal FY 2008 132 NEW infested premises 85 Permanent Q zone 47 Free area

Fever Tick Update FY 2009: as of May 19, 115 new infestations identified in Zapata - 63 Starr – 45 Maverick - 2 Brooks - 1 Cameron - 1 Kinney - 1 and Dimmit - 1 Webb – 1 counties.

October 1, 08-April 1, 09 Inspections: 121,559 cattle 3,894 horses Treatment: 67,086 cattle 15,375 horses

Treatment every 7-14 days: Cattle are inspected, then run thru spray boxes or submerged in dipping vats charged with Co-Ral

Trial Cattle Treatment Doramectin at 28-day intervals USDA, TAHC pay for treatment

Horses inspected, sprayed and permitted…. “14-day pass” allowed

Wildlife treatment products limited Ivomec-corn 4-Poster

developing new products… Research & Development Must go beyond developing new products… Approval for use is ESSENTIAL!

Additional Treatment Options Needed but leaving it on the shelf Vaccine Dip/spray Injectables Oral Developing a product that works-- but leaving it on the shelf does no good!

Products and processes Acaracide Resistance Products and processes must be identified to prevent or reduce development of resistance

Determine prevalence of Babesia in quarantined areas of Texas Determine whether wildlife and exotics are competent vectors for B. bovis and B. bigemina

Nutritional supplementation Can modification of management practices aid in eliminating fever ticks? Game-proof fence Pasture management Cross-fencing Rotational grazing Brush control Controlled burns Nutritional supplementation

Sufficient, sustainable program funding; USDA budget not less than $14.7 m yearly

National Strategic Plan 2006-2011 For Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Prevent entry of cattle fever ticks into U.S. Funding needed for Strategic Plan $42 million over 5 years Enhance and maintain effective surveillance to rapidly detect cattle fever tick incursions Prevent establishment of cattle fever ticks by eradicating infestations resulting from cattle fever tick incursions Identify and procure tools and knowledge to maintain the U.S. free of cattle fever ticks Foster collaboration and cooperation with Mexico to eliminate the cattle fever tick in areas of Mexico that impact the U.S.

A U.S. problem! Fever Ticks Not just a Texas problem… By 1943, the eradication campaign was declared complete, although subsequent outbreaks of Boophilus ticks occurred in Florida and Texas. In 1961, the U. S. was again declared free of Boophilus ticks and no further outbreaks have occurred outside of South Texas since that time. In 1906, the national Boophilus tick campaign was initiated, the area infested encompassed parts of 14 southern states and a portion of southern California. The goal was eradication of ticks. Economic losses at that time were estimated to be $100 million each year. We must not allow Boophilus ticks to become re-established in their former ranges