By: Tim McDermott DVM, OSU Extension Educator, Franklin County (originally published in Farm and Dairy)
The Asian long-horned tick attacks wild and domestic animals and humans. Photo by Anna Pasternak, a UK entomology graduate student.
My colleague Erika Lyon wrote a great article on the January 24th, 2019 All About Grazing column in Farm and Dairy (link) that discussed the invasive Asian long-horned Tick. I want to give an update on where that tick is now, where its new host range is located, and what potential disease problems to look out for.
The Asian long-horned tick is native to East Asia as well as Australia and New Zealand. It had not previously been found in the United States prior to its discovery on a farm in New Jersey in the fall of 2017. This tick is a major concern as it reproduces via parthenogenesis, which means that the female does not need a male in order to reproduce, she can start laying eggs, which are genetic clones, that can overwhelm the host in very large numbers. It has been found on humans, companion animals including cats, dogs and horses, livestock species including chickens, cattle, sheep and goats and multiple other mammals and birds including foxes, bears, geese, deer, raccoons, skunks, hawks, groundhogs and opossum (which are known to consume ticks as food). Continue reading Asian Longhorned Tick; a New Tick Known to Attack Animals in Large Numbers!