A non-native, dark-brown tick from Asia has been found in New England for the first time.
The Asian Longhorned tick was discovered in Connecticut this fall. As of now, the tick has not been confirmed in any other state in the region. Rhode Island’s State Veterinarian Scott Marshall said the Longhorned tick typically feeds off of livestock, like sheep and cattle, which pose a threat to farmers.
“These are blood sucking parasites so they can actually have heavy enough infestations that they’ll eat so much of the animal’s blood that the animal could become anemic and possibly even die from it,” Marshall said.
Marshall recommends checking with a veterinarian about best practices for tick prevention. He also says the Longhorned tick is known to transmit bacteria that cause human diseases, such as Lyme. But there haven’t been any reports of that yet in the US.
The tick was first discovered on a sheep in New Jersey last year. Back then, Rhode Island’s State Veterinarian Scott Marshall says, officials sprayed insecticides in the affected area. But he says spraying may not be an option here to keep the tick from spreading across New England.
“Not knowing exactly where it is and where it isn’t to treat, it’s not an environmentally-sound practice to just treat a wide area with insecticides where you don’t even know this exists,” Marshall said.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management recommends hunters spray clothes and exposed skin with tick repellent. And to check with a veterinarian about tick prevention for hunting dogs.A non-native, dark-brown tick from Asia has been found in New England for the first time.
The Asian Longhorned tick was discovered in Connecticut this fall. As of now, the tick has not been confirmed in any other state in the region. Rhode Island’s State Veterinarian Scott Marshall said the Longhorned tick typically feeds off of livestock, like sheep and cattle, which pose a threat to farmers.
“These are blood sucking parasites so they can actually have heavy enough infestations that they’ll eat so much of the animal’s blood that the animal could become anemic and possibly even die from it,” Marshall said.
Marshall recommends checking with a veterinarian about best practices for tick prevention. He also says the Longhorned tick is known to transmit bacteria that cause human diseases, such as Lyme. But there haven’t been any reports of that yet in the US.
The tick was first discovered on a sheep in New Jersey last year. Back then, Rhode Island’s State Veterinarian Scott Marshall says, officials sprayed insecticides in the affected area. But he says spraying may not be an option here to keep the tick from spreading across New England.
“Not knowing exactly where it is and where it isn’t to treat, it’s not an environmentally-sound practice to just treat a wide area with insecticides where you don’t even know this exists,” Marshall said.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management recommends hunters spray clothes and exposed skin with tick repellent. And to check with a veterinarian about tick prevention for hunting dogs.