Asian Longhorned Ticks In CT: What You Need To Know

CONNECTICUT — The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station reported the first established population of the Asian longhorned tick in New Haven County this week.

It's the second year in a row that the parasite has set up shop in Connecticut. The bugs was first discovered stateside in Hunterdon County, New Jersey in 2017, and has subsequently been found in at least 15 other states.

The bug is native to eastern Asia and invasive to Australia, New Zealand, and several Pacific Islands, preferring warm and moist conditions. It feeds on a variety of hosts, and the state entomologists are warning Connecticut residents it presents a significant threat to wild and domestic animals, particularly livestock. Human biting by this tick has been documented in the infested states, including at least four instances in Connecticut. Dogs, a frequently identified host in the U.S., may be particularly at risk for canine babesiosis, transmitted by this tick species. Symptoms may include jaundice, fever, orange or dark red urine and weakness, according to Western Carolina Regional Animal Hospital & Veterinary Emergency Hospital.

As of Aug. 1, 2019, no harmful germs that can infect people have been found in the ticks collected in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The potential is high for invasive ticks capable of transmitting pathogens of human and veterinary concern to become further established in new areas as environments continue to

change," said Dr. Goudarz Molaei, a research scientist who directs the CAES Passive Tick Surveillance and Testing Program.

Molaei is calling for expanded tick surveillance programs, and the implementation of rigorous measures to inspect animals, plants, and other imported materials at ports of entry.

"[P]roper, accurate identification of exotic ticks and pathogens, as well as the implementation of efficient eradication and capacity to test exotic ticks for native and nonnative pathogens should all be components of a rigorous program in mitigating risks associated with ticks and tick-borne pathogens," the scientist said.

When the Asian longhorned tick first showed up in Connecticut last year, Molaei predicted it would be particularly hard to shake. The bug breeds through parthenogenesis, which means the females can reproduce without mating, making 1,000 to 2,000 eggs at a time.

"With this kind of biology, we are expecting to have an infestation that is unimaginable," Molaei told Patch.