Scary "new" tick worries US officials

According to a new report, a tick species native to Asia is spreading across the United States.

This tick, called horn tick or Haemaphysalis longicornis, was first identified in the United States in August 2017, when it was found on a sheep in New Jersey, according to the report released today (November 29) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC).

Since then, the tick has been detected in nine states: New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland, the report said. [5 Things to Know About the New Tick Species in the US]

"The presence of H. longicornis in the United States represents a new and emerging threat, "says the report.

In other parts of the world, longhorn ticks are known to spread diseases, including bacterial infections such as babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, theileriosis and rickettsiosis, as well as some viral diseases. In China and Japan, the long-horned tick carries a disease called severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), which can be fatal.

But it is not known whether horned ticks in the United States can spread diseases, as the types of tick-borne diseases may vary according to their environment. Until now, no case of tick-related disease has been reported in the United States, the report said.

Officials are now working with experts in veterinary medicine, agricultural science and public health to better understand the potential impact of the horned tick on the United States.

The horned tick is also a particular threat to livestock. Unlike most tick species, horned ticks can reproduce asexually and lay in very large numbers. A single long-horned female tick can lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time, the CDC said. Because of their large numbers, long-horned ticks can cause severe infestations in livestock, resulting in weakness, anemia and even death of animals.

The CDC said that critical work was needed to assess the threat of long-horned ticks in the United States. The researchers had to determine the distribution of the tick in the United States. the types of pathogens that it can carry, the frequency with which it bites humans and animals; and how to effectively control its spread.

Originally published on Science live.