Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-04-17
United States Makes Rapid Progress
In Eradication Of The Fever Tick;
Much Teyyit0yyIs Cleared OfDisease

Washington. ID. g.. April ls.-Texas
or tick fever. a disease Of cattle which H.
spread only by ticks. is described in a
bulletin just issued by the United States
Department Of Agriculture. This diseas.
has existed for many years in the south
crn part Of the. United States. and be
sidcs causing heavy losses has stood in
the way Of raising better cattle in that
section. Seven years ago the government
i'm cooperation with some Of the States.
began a systematic campaign 10 cxterm
mate the ticks, and mp 10 this time NOR,
than one. fourth of the territory origin
ally affected has been cleared of ticks
The name Texas fever although I'll,
term most commonly in usc in this coun
try. is somwhat misleading. * il j. like
~ to give the impression that the disease
is confined to the State of Texas. Prob
ably the most appropriate name H. ,'ticl
fever Among other names in use ar
southern cattle fever, red water. blacl
water, distempcr. acclimation fever
murrain. splcnic or splcnctic fever. and
bovine malaria.
The disease was probably introduce'
with the importations Of cattle by tn
Spaniards during the early colonization
Of Mexico and southern United States. /
caused continual losses year after yeai
during the early history Of this countr,
Experience showed that invariablc re-
suit of the transportation Of southern
cattle into the nothcrn States was tn
death Of all northern cattle along iii
roads and on the pastures over whicl
the southern cattle had Travelled. Al
though the latter animals remained per
fectly healthy. In the same way north
crly cattle taken south almost invariably
succumbcd Ia the malady.
For n long time the cause Of Texas fey
or remained q mystery. but this wa
cleared up by Investigations Of SCIENTIST
in the Bureau of Aanimal industry abou'
1890. This work showed concluSivcIy tha'
the disease il caused bv u minute para
site living within the blood cells Of I'll,
cattle. and that the intermediate stag
Of development Of this parasite occurs H.
"A certain species of cattle tick. thus max
ing this tick the Indirect hut ahSolutcl,
essential factor in the natural produc
tion Of the disease. This discovery cStal
lished a new principle in medical science
which has been found to applay TO a mum
her Of diseases transmitted hv insects. no
tally yellow fever and malaria whicl
UIt NdIIlfu IN 'fIiNln MINIS VI nuV~IhA
toes.
After the minute Texas fever naraSit,
enters the blood of n susceptible animal
BIZ means Of the bite of the ticks il at
tacks the red corpuSclcS causing them I,
break down. The disease is characterized
by high fever. destruction Of reel corpus
cles anil consequent passing of colorinc
matter Of the blood hy the kidneys. caus
n reddish discoloration of the urine: by
enlarged slpecn. cngorecd liver. more or
less jaundicc. and cmaciation. Death fnl-
lows in from 10 per cent Of the chronic
10 30 per cent Of the acute eases.
A peculiarly Of the disease - that
the animals responsible for its spread
do not show outward signs of the disease,
although they do contain the parasite
i'm their blood. This j. because they have
become immune trough infection early
in life. with perhaps a mild attack Of
the disease. Although such cattle may
he apparently healthy. the parasites per
sist in their blood for many years. ready
at any time Ia start the disease when they
are transferred To susceptible cattle by
ticks. This phase Of the disease has made
il hard for many southern cattle owners
Ia understand why their animals which
seem 10 he perfectly healthy. should he
regarded as dangerous 10 Others and
subjected to quarantine. Cattle Of this
kind are somewhat similar Ia the class
of typhoid carriers known rs typhoid
Marys.' so called after the famous case
Of a cook in Il New York restaurant. who
after recovering from typhoid fever and
apparently rcgaining perfect health. cor
tinued TO harbor aud distribute the germs
of typhoid fever and was the source Of
as other known eases.
Texas fever appears in two distinci
types. the acute and the chronic. depend
ing upon the time Of the wear and the
susceptibility of the ANIMALS. In thu
acute form the temperature rises from
IO7 or los +. within - 10 - hours an'
/: is evident that the animal is atfeetef
with a severe malady. Death may occur
within three or four DAYS. or the animal
may recover. hut recovery j. usually slow
The chronic form j. milder. and while The
animal NAV become greatly emaciatei,
death Is ~infrcqncnt.