Texas Animal Health Commission updates members on screwworm, cattle fever tick, avian influenza and other threats

Texas Animal Health Commission staff told the commission on March 3 that the agency is continuing multiple surveillance and control efforts for invasive parasites and animal diseases, including New World screwworm, cattle fever tick field trials, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle, and avian metapneumovirus.

At the start of the operations report, the agency director noted the commission is proceeding with field and laboratory work on a cattle fever tick treatment trial that moved from Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge to a USDA-ARS research facility for a controlled study. Staff said the trial — funded in part by a $316,000 appropriation from the prior biennium — is on schedule and producing preliminary data; they also said the commission has requested an additional $30,000 as an exceptional-item budget request to the Legislative Budget Board to cover costs resulting from the relocation of the trial.

Why it matters: cattle fever tick and related ectoparasites are regulated pests that threaten livestock health…