Effects of ticks on cattle As well as transmitting diseases such as tick fever, the cattle tick causes 'tick worry' among cattle. This leads to anaemia and losses in production, such as failure of young cattle to make satisfactory growth, lost milk production, and general weakness. Animals in poor condition are particularly vulnerable. Cattle not previously exposed to ticks often become heavily infested until they build up a resistance. An animal may die from a heavy infestation.
Tropical breeds are also more resistant to diseases transmitted by the ticks.
Tick fever Cattle ticks transmit the organisms that cause tick fever, a serious disease of cattle in northern Australia. Cattle that recover from a natural infection of tick fever carry small numbers of parasites in their blood, which act as a source of infection for other animals. Cattle tick transmit the parasites from one animal to another. Babesia are taken from an infected animal when female ticks engorge with blood and transfer Babesia through tick eggs to the larvae. The disease spreads when larval ticks attach to a new host, infecting it by injecting saliva carrying the organisms.