Scientists are assessing a tick’s potential to spread African swine fever (ASF) in the Southern U.S.To prevent the spread of the virus in Texas and the Southern U.S., Texas A&M AgriLife Research is leading a multi-institutional research project that evaluates the potential, or vector competency, of a southern Ornithodoros turicata tick to transmit the disease.The nearly $1.5 million project is supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate through Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense, a DHS Center of Excellence within AgriLife Research.The project aims to fill critical knowledge gaps in the vector competency ...