WESLACO – A new amendment is changing how livestock infected with the cattle fever tick are being treated.

The amendment was put in place by the Texas Animal Health Commission.

The new ruling will allow the executive director of the agency to treat tick outbreaks on a case-by-case basis with individual ranchers.

Previously, ranchers where the fever tick is found were asked to send all of their livestock to be treated. Many ranchers said herding and transporting their livestock for treatment was costly.

In some cases, livestock would be injured.

TAHC executive director Andy Schwartz said the new ruling is expected to benefit ranchers.

“There is some concern out there that we are softening the program. That we are no longer running an eradication program and that is not the case at all,” he said. “We are just willing now – the rule change allows us to consider individual circumstances, but we still do the eradication effort and write the herd plan based on science and the biology of the fever.”

Hidalgo and Cameron counties are currently within a cattle fever tick quarantine zone.

The new amendment goes into effect on May 30.