Texas Fever
As Texas longhorn cattle began being transported out of Texas to meat markets and to build cattle herds in new territories, it became clear that they carried a disease that killed other cattle. The longhorns were immune to the disease, but the cattle they were introduced to were not. Because of this, the disease was referred to as Texas fever. Eventually, it was realized that the disease did not infect other cattle if the longhorns wintered between Texas and their final destination. It would later be learned that this worked because it killed the ticks on the Texas cattle that carried the protozoa that caused the disease.
Transmission & Vectors
Texas fever is transmitted by ticks infected with the parasitic protozoa that causes the disease. This would not be fully understood until the early 1900s.
Symptoms
High fever, emaciation, anemia, and bloody urine - among other symptoms. Eventually this disease results in death.
Prognosis
Texas fever is fatal for those cattle that contract it.
Hosts & Carriers
The disease is carried by protozoa that infect cattle through cattle ticks that feed on them.
Prevention
In order to prevent the fever from spreading to cattle that are not immune to the disease, many states and territories began requiring longhorn cattle being driven from Texas to be quarantined or driven during the winter when the ticks would die off. Later, chemical tick repellent came into use to control the disease by preventing the ticks from biting cattle to begin with.
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