Show by destroying cattle tick disease Is checked that ticks can be the vectors or transmitters of disease organisms was demonstrated for the first time in in 1893 two investigators T smith and F L kilbourne of the united states department of agriculture ri discovered that a particular species of tick in the southern states was the vector of a protozoan a single celled animal that produces a serious and often fatal disease in in cattle and other domestic animals in texas and adjoining states these texas fever ticks as they are called are single host parasites they pass their different stages on one animal finally mating and dropping to the ground where the females lay their eggs As there is is no successful way of curing the afflicted animals the best method for checking the disease is to kill the ticks on their hosts and to prevent the parasites from spreading into other parts of the country by quarantine regulations in this manner the pests have been greatly reduced in number and the area of their distribution has been restricted in europe other species of ticks have been found to be responsible for a disease similar to the texas or redwater f |