Asian longhorned tick threatens U.S. livestock and health
The National Veterinary Services Laboratory identified a dangerous tick species in Northeast Oklahoma in early June. The same species was also identified for the first time in St. Louis County in late February. The species in question is the Asian Longhorned Tick.
See the interactive map from the USDA here
The tick poses a risk to people, pets, and livestock. It's especially harmful to livestock and has been known to break out into an infestation on one animal, leading to great stress and reducing growth and production. A severe infestation on one animal can even cause the animal to die from blood loss. Yikes!
Aside from its infestation capabilities, the tick also carries disease. Livestock, in particular, is at risk of catching bovine theileriosis from a longhorned tick. Bovine theileriosis is a blood-borne parasite that, when left untreated, can cause an animal to die.
Outside of the US, the tick has been linked to carrying human diseases such as Japanese Spotted Fever. However, the longhorned ticks found in the US have not been found to transmit human pathogens such as Lyme disease. That's good news for now! It's been found in a lab that this tick species could become a carrier for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
This species of tick is unique in that the females can reproduce without a male. This is why they are efficient at spreading once introduced into a new geographic region. The tick was first identified in the US in 2017 and has since spread to 21 eastern states.
The species was first found in Missouri in 2021. It's been identified in both the St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas, and traces of the tick have been found in Greene County. A live specimen, however, hasn't been confirmed yet in Springfield. The tick has also been identified in Benton, Washington, Boone, Searcy, and Independence counties in Northern Arkansas.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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