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Cattle Fever Ticks

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Cattle fever ticks (Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and R. (B.) microplus) are the

most dangerous cattle ectoparasites in the United States. These ticks have been a

threat to American agriculture for generations because they spread the disease

bovine babesiosis, commonly called cattle fever.
Often fatal, this disease caused enormous losses to the U.S. cattle industry in the

late 1800s and early 1900s. Direct and indirect economic losses were estimated at

$130.5 million—more than $3 billion today. The disease was eradicated from the

United States by 1943, except for a permanent quarantine area along the

Texas/Mexico border, where cattle fever ticks are still found.

What To Look For

Cattle fever ticks typically attach themselves to the skin inside an animal's thigh,

flanks, and forelegs or along the belly and brisket.

Cattle fever ticks develop through three life stages while on the host animal: larva,

nymph, and adult.

Potential hosts of cattle fever ticks include livestock (mainly cattle and horses),

white-tailed deer, and exotic hoofstock, such as nilgai antelope and red deer. Cattle

fever ticks do not often attach to people.

How To Prevent This Pest

APHIS or the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) inspects all livestock within

the permanent quarantine zone for ticks every year. APHIS or TAHC inspectors also

treat, inspect, and certify all cattle as tick-free before they can move out of the

quarantine zone to prevent ticks from spreading. In addition, APHIS and TAHC set up

temporary quarantines as needed if the ticks are found outside of the permanent

quarantine zone.

If you have questions about your livestock and potential tick infestations, call or

email APHIS or TAHC:

APHIS Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program 

Email: feverticks@usda.gov

Phone: 956-726-2228

Texas Animal Health Commission

Email: comments@tahc.texas.gov
Phone: 512-719-0700

How It Is Treated

If your premises is quarantined for cattle fever ticks, Federal and State animal health

regulations will require all your livestock, including horses, to be treated. The

treatment options vary based on what animals you have and how you plan to use or

move the animals. When your premises is quarantined, animal health officials will

work with you to develop a herd plan.

View Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program and Treatment Options brochure (3.55

MB)

Programa de Erradicación de Garrapatas de Fiebre Bovina y opciones de tratamiento

Report Signs of Animal Disease

Producers or owners who suspect an animal disease should contact their

veterinarian to evaluate the animal or herd. Find an accredited veterinarian.

Animal health professionals (veterinarians; diagnostic laboratories; public health,

zoo, or wildlife personnel; and others) report diagnosed or suspected cases of

nationally listed reportable animal diseases to APHIS District Offices and to the State

animal health official as applicable under State reporting regulations. 

Controlling Cattle Fever Ticks

Current Status

Today, cattle fever ticks are somewhat confined to a permanent quarantine zone

that runs from Brownsville to Del Rio, TX, along the Mexican border. Mexico

continues to find babesiosis, so this buffer zone plays an important role in keeping

ticks from spreading the disease back into the United States.

Other populations of cattle fever ticks are found in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin

Islands. APHIS helps support local programs in those areas.
View the Cattle Fever Tick Research Milestones Brochure

APHIS' Response

APHIS leads the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program, a cooperative effort started

with the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and cattle industry in 1906 to rid

the country of cattle fever.

APHIS and TAHC work together to systematically detect, treat, and eradicate cattle

fever tick infestations.

We inspect all livestock within the permanent quarantine zone for ticks every

year.

We also require all cattle to be treated, inspected, and certified as tick-free

before they can move out of the quarantine zone.

If ticks are found outside of the quarantine zone, we set up temporary

quarantines as needed. These animals must also be treated and inspected

before leaving quarantine.

In addition, APHIS has a cadre of “tick riders" (horse-mounted patrol inspectors) who

ride along the Texas/Mexico border. They look for signs of stray or smuggled

livestock from Mexico that might carry fever ticks into the United States. Intercepted

animals are inspected, treated, and quarantined.

Regulatory Information

Texas Administrative Code: Title 4, Part 2, Chapter 41: Texas Animal Health

Commission: Fever Ticks

Disease Information Sheets

Bovine Anaplasmosis Information Sheet (January 2024)

Bovine Babesiosis Information Sheet (January 2024)

Reports and Assessments

Title Documents

Month/Year

Published
Cattle Fever Tick Eradication

Program Fence Deterrent in Cameron

and Zapata Counties, Texas

Final Environmental

Assessment (2.04 MB)

Finding of No Significant

Impact (316.12 KB)

March 2023

Cattle Fever Tick Eradication

Program Fence Deterrent in Cameron

and Willacy Counties, Texas

Final Supplemental

Environmental Assessment

(7.01 MB)

Finding of No Significant

Impact (for Supplemental

EA) (228.88 KB)

April 2022

Final Environmental

Assessment (2.68 MB)

Finding of No Significant

Impact (for Final EA) (124.79

KB)

July 2021

Cattle Fever Tick Eradication on

Laguna Atascosa and Lower Rio

Grande Valley National Wildlife

Refuges

Final Environmental

Assessment (5.81 MB)

Finding of No Significant

Impact (310.07 KB)

February 2018

Cattle Fever Tick Eradication

Program Use of Ivermectin Corn

Final Environmental

Assessment (1.62 MB)

Finding of No Significant

Impact (346.94 KB)

January 2017