Bad news, everyone. Another type of tick has been discovered in the Mountain State. Now, not only do we have to contend with eight-legged, blood-sucking parasites like the dog tick, the deer tick, and the lone star tick — as of just recently here in West Virginia, we also have to watch out for the brand-new-to-America Asian longhorned ticks as well.
The Asian longhorned tick, also known as the bush tick or simply the longhorned tick, is native to parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands, including Hawai’i. It was first discovered in the United States on a New Jersey sheep farm in 2017.
Desmond W. Helmore / Wikipedia
Efforts to eradicate this new invasive tick at that time failed; the species overwintered and the longhorned tick population has continued to grow. And grow. And grow.
CDC
As of August 2022, longhorned ticks had also been spotted in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and – you guessed it – West Virginia.
Public Domain / Wikipedia
Longhorned ticks on other continents are known to produce both sexually and asexually, and, at least on the other side of the ocean, they do carry serious diseases that can infect both humans and animals.
Public Domain / Wikipedia
However, not much is yet known about how this newly-introduced tick species will behave (and the impact it will have) here in North America. We don’t know what West Virginia habitat it prefers or what diseases it could potentially carry.
Commonsource / Wikipedia
So far, though, it seems that, at least in comparison to the other common tick species found in West Virginia, the Asian longhorned tick is less attracted to human skin. That’s one silver lining! Here’s another: so far, for those ticks that have been collected and analyzed in a lab, none of the longhorned ticks that call the eastern part of the United States of America home have been carrying any human disease causing pathogens.
James Gathany / Wikipedia
Here’s hoping it stays that way!
Shawn Ullerup / Wikipedia
To learn more about Asian longhorned ticks in West Virginia and catch any updates as they become available, visit the CDC website. Are you good at identifying any ticks you come across? Have you spotted this new one yet? Unfortunately, it’s not the only worrisome pest out and about in West Virginia.
Desmond W. Helmore / Wikipedia
CDC
Public Domain / Wikipedia
Commonsource / Wikipedia
James Gathany / Wikipedia
Shawn Ullerup / Wikipedia
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