Overview

Healthy cattle are critical to the success of farmers and ranchers. Cattle producers continue to need investment in programs that bolster disease preparedness, eradicate dangerous pests and parasites, and protect livestock wellbeing.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is a viral disease that affects animals with cloven (or divided) hooves, such as cattle, swine, sheep, goats and deer. The U.S. has been FMD-free since 1929 and FMD is not a threat to food safety or human health, however it would cause severe economic damages to U.S. agriculture if an outbreak where to occur on U.S. soil.

If FMD were to appear in the U.S., all cattle movement would be shut down for at least 72 hours to contain the disease. This would result in immediate economic disruptions impacting not just farmers and ranchers, but affiliated industries like trucking, livestock product companies, sale barns, and meat processors.

To speed up the process of tracing and isolating foreign animal diseases, such as FMD, NCBA supports a cattle industry traceability system. A successful traceability system should allow for rapid traceback to identify where an infected animal has been while also protecting producer privacy over the course of regular business.

NCBA also supports continued funding for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB) in the Farm Bill. This vaccine bank currently houses the FMD vaccine and diagnostic test kits that be used in the event of an outbreak.

New World Screwworm

The New World screwworm (NWS) refers to a parasitic condition in which NWS fly larva invades and feeds upon the living flesh of animals. NWS can infect any mammal, including all species of livestock, pets, wildlife, and humans. The species derives its name from the larvae’s feeding habits, as they burrow into wounds, resembling a screw being driven into wood. These maggots inflict severe damage by tearing into the host’s tissue with their sharp mouth hooks. As more larvae hatch and continue to feed, the wounds can expand and deepen, leading to severe and often fatal harm to the affected animal. Left untreated, myiasis caused by NWS can be fatal within 7-10 days. In November 2024, NWS was detected in southern Mexico, indicating that the parasite is moving northwards and that we must stay vigilant.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) successfully eradicated NWS from the United States in 1966 using the sterile insect technique, which involves releasing sterile male NWS flies into the environment to gradually reduce the population. To eradicate these parasites, cattle producers need funding for more sterile flies so they can be deployed along the southern border and keep these dangerous pests out of our country.

Asian Longhorned Tick

The Asian Longhorned Tick (ALT) is an invasive exotic pest first found in the United States in 2017. Since then, it has spread to 22 states ranging from the south (Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee) all the way up to the east coast (New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island) and reaching as far west as Oklahoma. The tick is extremely aggressive and can cause stress and severe blood loss in cattle. The tick also carries diseases such as bovine Theileriosis, a disease that causes anemia, failure to grow (ill-thrift), persistent infection, and possible death. NCBA supports continued efforts to eradicate the ALT and to control the spread of ticks and the associated pathogens transmitted by the ALT.

Contact

Allison Rivera
202-347-0228

Kathy Simmons, D.V.M.
202-347-0228

Sigrid Johannes
202-347-0228