A tick species that's native to Asia has now spread to the United States, and it's popping up in numerous places along the East Coast, according to U.S. officials. The newfound tick, known as the longhorned tick or Haemaphysalis longicornis, was first identified in the U.S. last year, when it was found on a sheep in New Jersey, according to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Now, it's spread to six other states: New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and, most recently, Pennsylvania. "The discovery of the longhorn tick [here] is another reminder of the importance of tick prevention," Dr. Rachel Levine, secretary of health for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said in a statement on July 31. [10 Bizarre Diseases You Can Get Outdoors] Here are five facts about longhorned ticks: Females can reproduce asexually and lay thousands of eggs. Female longhorned ticks don't need a male to reproduce. They can spawn asexually using a process known as parthenogenesis. After feeding, a single female can lay around 2,000 eggs, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. That's enough to establish a tick population in a new location, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says. They suck so much blood, it can cause anemia, or even death, in livestock. Due to these large numbers, longhorned ticks can cause severe infestations in livestock, leading to weakness, anemia or even death in the animal. "If too many ticks attach to one animal, the loss of blood can kill the animal," according to a statement from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Adult longhorned ticks grow to the size of a pea when they are fully engorged with blood. At other stages of life, the ticks are very small — the size of a poppy seed or smaller, according to the USDA. In addition to livestock, the ticks can feed on humans, pets, small mammals, birds and other animals. Scientists don't know how they got here. Scientists are still investigating how this tick species spread to the United States. It's possible it may have entered the country by hitching a ride on pets, horses, livestock or humans, the USDA said. The tick is also an invasive species in Australia, New Zealand and several Pacific islands. The health threat to humans is unknown. In other countries, the longhorned tick is known to transmit disease to both humans and livestock. These diseases include the bacterial infections babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, theileriosis and rickettsiosis, as well as certain viral diseases, according to the USDA. One virus spread by the longhorned tick causes a disease called severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), The New York Times reported Aug. 6. STFS can be deadly. But more research is needed to determine whether the longhorned ticks in the U.S. spread diseases. So far, the longhorned ticks examined here haven't been found to carry any infectious pathogens, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. There are ways to protect yourself. People can protect themselves from longhorned ticks by taking the same precautions recommended to prevent tick bites from native ticks: Wear long sleeves and pants, apply insect repellent containing DEET, and check yourself and your pets for ticks. Original article on Live Science.<doc-sep>First detected in New Jersey last year, this invasive tick species is "an important vector of human and animal disease agents," according to the CDC. The Asian Longhorned Tick Has Now Been Found in 8 States, Says a New CDC Report. Here's What You Need to Know The Asian longhorned tick is an invasive tick species that has recently spread to eight states across the United States and threatens to transmit several serious diseases to people, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned in a new report on Thursday. The tick is "an important vector of human and animal disease agents," states the CDC report. Native to China, Japan, Korea, and the Russian Far East, the Asian longhorned tick had never previously been detected in the U.S. before. That changed in August 2017, when a a sheep in New Jersey was found to be infested with them. Since then, 53 reports of the tick have been confirmed in seven more states through September 2018: Virginia, West Virginia, New York, Connecticut, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas. The Asian longhorned tick has been found on both people and animals, according to the CDC report. On the positive side, the CDC report states that there's no evidence the Asian longhorned tick has transmitted disease to humans or animals in the U.S. But in Asia, it is known to carry a dangerous virus that kills 15% of the people it bites. The tick has spread in recent years to Australia, New Zealand, several Pacific islands, and now to America. An invasive tick species surely sounds like something out of a horror film, especially given the explosion of tick populations and tick-borne diseases here in the States in recent years. But before you start freaking out about this specific critter, known to scientists as Haemaphysalis longicornis, let’s put a few things into perspective. “People should not extrapolate that just because this tick carries a potentially serious virus in the Far East, that next year everyone here will have that same disease,” John Aucott, MD, director of the Lyme Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, previously told Health. "We don't want to connect dots that may never be connected in real life." “We certainly don’t want it spreading all over the country, which is why public health officials should definitely be paying attention to this,” Dr. Aucott said. “But for the general public, there are a lot more important things—both having to do with tick-borne illnesses and other things—that should be of greater concern.” One of those things is the “very real epidemic” of diseases being spread by ticks native to the United States. “Instead of focusing on the theoretical risk of some exotic imported tick species,” he said, “people should be paying more attention to actually protecting themselves from these much bigger threats.” Deer ticks, for example (also known as blacklegged ticks), can spread Lyme disease, Powassan virus, and anaplasmosis, among other infections; they can also cause tick paralysis. Their numbers are on the rise throughout the United States, as are the diseases they carry. According to a recent report from lab-testing service Quest Diagnostics, Lyme disease rates have skyrocketed in recent years. Positive test results have now been reported in all 50 states as well as Washington D.C., and several states reported sharp increases in positive test results between 2015 and 2017. That specific report may not offer the most scientifically reliable data, said Dr. Aucott: It hasn’t been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, it’s based only on tests done by Quest Diagnostics and not by other facilities, and it can only show what state people were in when they tested positive for Lyme disease bacteria—not where they actually were when they were infected. But in general, he said, the data is in line with other research. “It’s true that Lyme disease has been spreading relentlessly since the 1970s and that it has spread dramatically on the East Coast and in the Upper Midwest especially,” he said. Other conditions spread by different types of native ticks—like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and alpha-gal syndrome (which involves a sudden allergy to red meat)—have also seen increases in recent years. These are the truly scary statistics, said Dr. Aucott, and the real reason people need to be vigilant about ticks that might be lurking in their yards and in nearby grasses and forests. “We’ve gotten across to people the importance of wearing a seatbelt and not drinking and driving, but we haven’t yet gotten the message across that tick-bite prevention is something that people should take just as seriously,” he said.<doc-sep>HARRISBURG – A tick new to Pennsylvania is known to carry Lyme disease and a disease that can hurt milk production in dairy cows. Tests by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa have confirmed the presence of the Asian, or longhorn tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, in Pennsylvania. An invasive species that congregates in large numbers, the longhorn tick can cause anemia in livestock. The tick was discovered on a wild deer in Centre County. It is known to carry several diseases that infect hogs and cattle in Asia. So far, ticks examined in the U.S. do not carry any infectious pathogens. More:Bull's-eye: Lyme disease victims take back their lives “Even experts have difficulty distinguishing among tick species, so it is important to take precautions to protect pets, livestock and family members from becoming a host for ticks of any kind,” State Veterinarian Dr. David Wolfgang said. “Scientists don’t yet know how this species will adapt to the North American climate and animal hosts, but we know it survived New Jersey’s winter and has infested sheep and cattle in this region.” Easily confused with other tick species, including the rabbit tick, which is common in the Eastern U.S., the species’ distinctive “horns” may not be visible without a microscope. The Asian tick infests host animals in dense clusters of numerous ticks. Female Asian ticks reproduce asexually, so a single tick can reproduce and lay 2,000 eggs after feeding on a host. Cattle, pets, small mammals, birds and humans are all potential hosts. “The discovery of the longhorn tick is another reminder of the importance of tick prevention for Pennsylvanians,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Ticks can be found in your own backyard, so it is essential to wear long sleeves and pants, use insect repellant containing DEET to help keep you safe from ticks and the diseases they carry. It is also important to check yourself and your pets for ticks, as pets can bring ticks indoors.” Native to East and Central Asia, the tick was originally identified in the U.S. in New Jersey, where it was found in large numbers in sheep in Mercer County in 2017. It has also been found on a deer in Washington County, Maryland, as well as in New York (see video,) Arkansas, New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. More:PA is nation's Lyme leader, and worst year could be ahead More:Take Care: What to know about Lyme disease Wolfgang recommends examining animals on a regular basis, and checking for ticks after being outside to prevent tick bites and disease transmission. Livestock producers and pet owners should consult their veterinarians to develop tick prevention and control appropriate to their specific animals. To reduce tick habitat, maintain a nine-foot distance between lawn or pasture and wooded areas, keep grass height low, and remove weeds and brush bordering wooded areas. Unfed ticks can live nearly a year. They have been found on a variety of wild animals, birds, pets and humans. An infestation spreads quickly in farm animals. The longhorned tick can transmit an animal disease called theileriosis to livestock. The disease can reduce milk production in dairy cows and cause blood loss in and the occasional death of calves. Sheep farmers can see poorer wool. Lyme spirochetes and other organisms causing disease in humans have been detected in longhorn ticks in China. Jim Hook, 717-262-4759<doc-sep>
An exotic tick previously unknown to the United States is spreading across the eastern U.S. with sightings in eight states this summer. The Asian or longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, has been found in Arkansas, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Native to East and Central Asia, the tick was thought to have been found for the first time in the U.S. after it was located on a farm in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, in November, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory recently confirmed a tick taken from a dog in Union County, New Jersey, in 2013 also was a longhorned tick. More from USA Today: First death by Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Wisconsin confirmed by DHS Tick paralysis: 5-year-old suddenly couldn't walk, had trouble speaking, mom says Blacklegged ticks are a problem. What this area is doing to fight them An invasive species that congregates in large numbers, the longhorned tick can cause anemia in livestock. It is known to carry several diseases that infect hogs and cattle in Asia. So far, ticks examined in the U.S. do not carry any infectious pathogens. Maryland officials announced Tuesday that its first longhorned tick sighting was confirmed July 27 in the western part of the state. The tick was found on a white-tailed deer in Washington County, according to a news release from the Maryland Department of Health. In early August, authorities said the tick was discovered on a wild deer in Centre County, Pennsylvania. In New Jersey, a tick was found in a wooded area in the central part of Bergen County in July during a routine collection of ticks by the county entomologist, said Alicia D'Alessandro, a county spokeswoman. The appearance in the region has prompted health officials to warn residents to take precautions when they are outside. "Ticks can be found in your own backyard, so it is essential to wear long sleeves and pants, use insect repellent containing DEET to help keep you safe from ticks and the diseases they carry," Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. "It is also important to check yourself and your pets for ticks, as pets can bring ticks indoors." Easily confused with other tick species, including the rabbit tick, which is common in the Eastern U.S., the species' distinctive "horns" may not be visible without a microscope. The Asian tick infests host animals in dense clusters of numerous ticks. Female Asian ticks reproduce asexually, so a single tick can reproduce and lay 2,000 eggs after feeding on a host. Cattle, pets, small mammals, birds and humans are all potential hosts. Unfed ticks can live nearly a year. They have been found on a variety of wild animals, birds, pets and humans. An infestation spreads quickly in farm animals. "Even experts have difficulty distinguishing among tick species, so it is important to take precautions to protect pets, livestock and family members from becoming a host for ticks of any kind," Pennsylvania veterinarian David Wolfgang said. "Scientists don't yet know how this species will adapt to the North American climate and animal hosts, but we know it survived New Jersey's winter and has infested sheep and cattle in this region." The longhorned tick can transmit an animal disease called theileriosis to livestock. The disease can reduce milk production in dairy cows and cause blood loss in and the occasional death of calves. Sheep farmers can see poorer wool. Health officials do not know whether the longhorned tick is capable of transmitting Lyme disease, but it has been shown in Asia to spread other serious diseases such as SFTS virus and the pathogen that causes Japanese spotted fever, along with many diseases in animals. SFTS, or severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, is an emerging infectious disease that can be fatal. "Our entomologist says there should be no more or less concerns about this tick than any other," D'Alessandro, of Bergen County, said. "The basic precautions should be followed." New Jersey officials have been on the lookout for the species since it was identified last fall. How it got on the Hunterdon County sheep is unclear since the sheep had never been out of the country and had been grazing alone for years. "Taking steps to protect yourself, your children and pets against ticks is the best way to prevent tick bites and tickborne diseases," New York state Health CommissionerHoward Zucker said.