New, aggressive tick is now in New Jersey and New York
Longhorned tick clones itself and bleeds livestock dry: It’s already known to spread several human diseases
Excerpted from The Chronicle : (08/04/2018)
The longhorned tick, an invasive species that clones itself and is known to suck livestock dry, is spreading fast. It’s now been confirmed in New Jersey and New York.
The Lyme Disease Association says the longhorned tick is already known to transmit several human diseases, including spotted fever rickettsiosis, in its native East Asian countries of China, Japan, and Australia. It may be only a matter of time before they become carriers of tick-borne diseases that affect humans, it says.
According to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, this exotic new tick was first found in the United States in Virginia, appearing on an orphaned calf on a beef farm It was also confirmed in West Virginia in May and in Arkansas in June. It’s also in North Carolina.
The tick reached New Jersey in November, when it was found on a sheep farm in Hunterdon County, N.J. Mystery still surrounds its appearance. The species survived the winter. There is no known direct link from the Virginia farm to the New Jersey farm. The longhorned tick has spread to other parts of New Jersey, including Middlesex, Union, Mercer, and Bergen counties.
The longhorned tick reproduces by parthenogenesis, that is, without fertilization. Males are very rare.
The species is dark brown and grows to the size of a pea when fully engorged. Both larval and nymphal stages are very small and difficult to observe with the naked eye. Adult ticks are seen mainly during early summer.
This tick is a serious pest to livestock, says New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher. It strikes cattle, horses, farmed deer, sheep, and goats, particularly in New Zealand, as well as wildlife, pets, and humans. The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife is watching to see if the tick has spread to wildlife.
Fisher said farmers should monitor their livestock for the presence of this tick. They should look for decreased growth rates, or signs of anemia.
He said it’s still too early to tell how the new tick will affect local residents.
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