The Asian longhorned tick, a species recently identified in the United States in 2017, has now spread to 19 states and is recognized as a significant threat to livestock by the USDA.
This concern is further validated by a report from Ohio State University researchers published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
They reported the deaths of two cows and a large bull, which were drained of blood to the point of death after enduring tens of thousands of tick bites.
Despite their small size, comparable to a sesame seed, these ticks have a remarkable ability to reproduce and form large populations quickly.
Remarkably, female ticks can lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time without needing a male.
The scale of their spread became evident when researchers collected nearly 10,000 ticks in just an hour and a half from a 25-acre pasture in Ohio.
From this data, they estimated that the total tick population in the field could exceed one million.
This rapid and large-scale reproduction is unique to this species among North American ticks.
Although these ticks have been found on both animals and humans, they seem to prefer animal hosts.
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The CDC has mentioned that while it’s unlikely these ticks will spread Lyme disease based on one study, they can transmit other diseases if they encounter them.
Globally, the impact of the Asian longhorned tick varies.
In countries like Australia and New Zealand, where it is also an invasive species, there’s no reported risk of it causing human illness.
However, the CDC stresses the importance of continuous research to fully understand the tick’s behavior and the potential threat it poses to both livestock and humans.
Dr. Mark J. Soloski, a professor at Johns Hopkins Medicine, highlighted the cautious approach being taken: “It’s possible that the Asian longhorned tick found here won’t carry the same types of pathogens [or any pathogens] as it has in other parts of the world, but we are paying attention to it.”
The tick has been reported in a diverse range of states across the U.S., including Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.