A recently published study by Jason Tidwell, a part-time graduate student in the Texas A&M College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Department of Entomology and full-time microbiologist with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit at Edinburg, lays the foundation for potential new control methods against cattle fever ticks, the vectors of pathogens causing bovine babesiosis, historically known as Texas cattle fever.

"These ticks are the only vectors of pathogens causing bovine babesiosis, thus eliminate the ticks and you eliminate the risk of disease," Teel said.

The virus is transmitted to humans primarily by Ixodes scapularis, the same blood-sucking deer ticks that transmit Lyme disease, babesiosis and other tick-borne illnesses.

Many patients are diagnosed with additional infections like bartonellosis or babesiosis caused by other bacteria carried by ticks, which can complicate treatment.

She notes that she’s more concerned about rates of tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease and babesiosis.