TAHC releases Kleberg County Fever Tick Quarantine Area

The Texas Animal Health Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program recently released the Kleberg County Fever Tick Control Purpose Quarantine Area.

The 17,397-acre CPQA was established by TAHC and USDA-CFTEP in December 2014 after cattle fever ticks were discovered on cattle located on a Kleberg County premises epidemiologically linked to a highly infested premises in Cameron County.

The release of the Kleberg County CPQA comes after three years of systematic treatment and inspections. The release rescinds all movement restrictions, inspections and treatment requirements for livestock and wildlife in the area.

“TAHC is pleased to announce the successful surveillance and removal of cattle fever ticks in Kleberg County,” Andy Schwartz, TAHC executive director, said. “Though the fever tick outbreak is gaining ground along the Texas-Mexico border, the release of this CPQA is another small but significant step forward in our fever tick eradication efforts.”

Today, portions of nine Texas counties have infested CPQAs. The counties include Cameron, Live Oak, Hidalgo, Kinney, Maverick, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata.

To learn more about cattle fever ticks and the current outbreak, visit http://www.tahc.texas.gov/animal_health/cattle/#ticks.