Emergency FDA Approval Sought for Tick-Borne Cattle Disease Treatment

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 19:00:04 GMT

The Ranchers Cattleman Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) has submitted a request to USDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine requesting emergency approval for the medication buparvaquone to treat cattle infected with theileriosis, the disease transmitted by the Asian longhorned tick (ALHT).

The letter , penned by R. M Thornsberry, chairman of the R-CALF USA Animal Health Committee, asks the FDA to take action to combat the disease, which has been spreading in the United States since 2017 when its carrier was introduced. Since then, the ALHT has been identified in 21 states, most recently as far west as Kansas .

“As a food animal veterinarian, I can prescribe appropriate treatment protocols for tick control, but I must watch my client’s cattle die because I have no approved therapeutic protocols to treat a properly diagnosed case of theileriosis,” Thornsberry writes.

Buparvaquone has a history of use for the treatment of theileriosis in other regions including Asia, Africa, Pacific Island nations and the Middle East. R-CALF USA proposes extended withdrawal times to ensure food safety.

Signs of theileriosis infection in cattle include:

Weakness
Fever
Loss of appetite
Difficulty breathing
Reduced milk production
Foamy nasal discharge

Pregnant cows and calves are most susceptible to infection, and once infected, cattle can be lifetime carriers.

As the ALHT continues to expand its range, the approval of this medicine could be very important for nationwide cattle health.

For more information:
Theileria and the Asian Longhorned Tick: What Beef Producers Need to Know

Crypto in Calves: Better Managed with a Shovel than a Needle

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 16:46:35 GMT

If you’re a calf raiser, you probably know about cryptosporidium. It’s that pesky parasite that causes scours in young calves, spreading via oocysts that pass through animal feces.

Seasoned calf managers recognize crypto scours that generally strike in calves a few weeks old. While usually not fatal, they set back calf growth and immunity, and increase labor demands due to necessary supportive care. This bulletin from Kansas State University emphasizes that there are no effective or approved treatments or vaccines for cryptosporidium scours.

That’s why renowned calf and heifer research Jim Quigley advised, “you can do more good with a shovel than you can with a needle” when it comes to crypto.

In a recent edition of his “ Calf Notes.com ” online library, Quigley reviewed two recent studies on crypto in calves, which reinforced existing knowledge of the disease and how to keep it at bay. The first, a Brazilian project , monitored the shedding of Cryptosporidium parvum oocytes by calves for the first 10 months of life. They observed the conditions that led to the highest infection risk were:

Contact with goats and sheep.
Use of a semi-intensive rearing system.
Fecal contamination of food and water.

The second study, conducted in the United Kingdom , analyzed hundreds of previously published scientific studies on cryptosporidium. From the 14 studies they determined were the most scientifically sound, the factors that were consistently associated with risk of infection were:

Calves housed in close contact with other calves.
Larger-sized herds.
Proximity to other animals. (One study concluded that if a pen has an empty period between housing animals, the risk of infection was reduced).
Type of flooring – hard floors reduced the risk of infection.
Warm and wet weather increased the risk of infection.

Quigley said both papers confirmed the risk of crypto infections thanks to its transmission activity via the fecal-oral route. Conducted half a world apart and incorporating data from around the world, the two studies underscored the management conditions consistent with high incidences of crypto infections – animal crowding and close contact with other animals; failure to remove feces from the calves’ environment; and incorrect or inconsistent cleaning protocols.

“These studies don’t necessarily shed any “new” light on how to minimize the risk of infection with crypto,” noted Quigley. “But both are a good reminder that ‘cleanliness’ is next to Godliness’ in calf-rearing systems.”

Parasite Control

Emergency FDA Approval Sought for Tick-Borne Cattle Disease Treatment

Crypto in Calves: Better Managed with a Shovel than a Needle