The Asian Longhorn Tick was first discovered in the US in 2017 but is now found widespread across most of the mid-Atlantic region. Racheal Slattery, University of Maryland Department of Animal Science has been part of a multi-state group doing surveillance on the ticks. Ticks have been found in Allegany County and West Virginia to the south and west of Garrett County. Melinda Smith with the Garrett County Health Department has been doing tick surveillance in Garrett County for all types of ticks for the past two years. This year Melinda found a couple of the Asian Longhorn Ticks (ALT) in Garrett County. The ALT is interesting in that it can clone itself and produce offspring without mating. In 2020, Rutgers University reported that all the ALT ticks found in the US were female ticks. This cloning ability allows the ticks to increase numbers rapidly when conditions are favorable such as finding a host cow. The ALT tick does not carry lyme’s disease and only a few have been found to carry Theileria orientalis ikeda (TOI) which is a pathogen cattle can develop after being bitten by ATL ticks. YOI only causes symptoms in a few percent of the animals with ticks and is usually not fatal. The most significant problem with the ATL tick is that once it infects pastures and cattle the ticks multiply quickly. Often over one million ticks per animal, which can make animals to anemia, have poor growth, and eventually die if left untreated. Animals get infected from pastures where the ATL is present. The ATL tick is also spread from area to area by wildlife such as white-tail deer and bears. ATL ticks can be controlled on livestock with chemicals that are used to control flies such as permectrin and most pour on fly controls. The problem is that ticks will reinfect the cattle on pastures. Once you have found ticks, farmers will need to have a consistent fly control program and limit animal exposure to pastures that are near or include woodlots. Rotating pasture can also help to control tick numbers. The ticks are most active during the late spring and summer. If you find ticks on your cattle contact the folks on the attached University of Maryland flyer or the Garrett County Extension Office at 301-334-6960.
