WASHINGTON — U.S. Reps. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, and Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, announced Tuesday that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allocated an additional $3.7 million to combat the spread of cattle fever tick in South Texas.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Reps. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, and Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, announced Tuesday that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allocated an additional $3.7 million to combat the spread of cattle fever tick in South Texas.
This funding comes on top of the existing $8.5 million allocated for fiscal year 2017 and will bring the total funding for USDA cattle fever tick eradication efforts in Texas to $12.2 million for this fiscal year, according to a news release.
“The recent spread of cattle fever tick has placed Texas’ cattle industry at risk,” Gonzalez said in the news release. “These funds will prevent further devastation of cattle ranching operations in our region and give South Texas producers peace of mind as they continue to tackle this disease.”
Cattle fever ticks are capable of carrying a disease commonly known as cattle fever, which attacks and destroys red blood cells, causing acute anemia, high fever, and enlargement of the spleen and liver, ultimately resulting in death for up to 90 percent of susceptible naive cattle, the release said.
