In China, Japan and Korea, the tick is a known carrier of several viruses and bacteria that can infect humans. While no human bites have been reported in the United States yet, the longhorned tick is a significant public health threat in its native East Asia. The longhorned tick will chow down on any bird or mammal it can get its hooks into. Other ticks, like the longhorned tick, rarely meet a blood type they don’t like. Some ticks, like the rabbit tick or moose tick, have specialized hosts and won’t feed on other animals. Tadhgh Rainey/Hunterdon Country Health Services GETTING AN EARFUL Hundreds of ticks in all stages of life were found latched on to the ear of a sheep in New Jersey. “She’s one of the first feminists,” jokes Allen Heath, a parasitologist at the Hopkirk Research Institute in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The female longhorned tick can focus on feeding, reproducing and traveling, without worrying about finding a mate. Researchers worry that this rapid cloning could lead to heavier tick infestations in short periods of time. That’s because parthenogenesis happens faster than traditional mating - about six months for the longhorned tick, compared with the two-year reproduction cycle of common American ticks such as the deer tick and lone star tick. The process is “pretty alarming,” says medical entomologist Neeta Connally at West Connecticut State University in Danbury. It is unclear how many ticks practice this rare form of asexual reproduction called parthenogenesis so far, scientists have found fewer than 20 that reproduce this way, out of more than 800 tick species worldwide. Two to three months later, the eggs hatch without any male fertilization, and become mini copies of their mom. This tick can clone itself.Īfter a female longhorned tick feeds, she will lay up to 2,000 genetically identical eggs. Here are five reasons why scientists are keeping an eye on this sneaky invader. It has been discovered in at least three more states - Virginia, West Virginia and Arkansas - and warnings have been issued for Maryland. Scientists say that it is rare to find an invasive tick species in the wild. The New Jersey sheep was the first documented sighting in the continental United States, say Rainey and Egizi, who published their findings online February 19 in the Journal of Medical Entomology. longicornis is ubiquitous in Japan, China and the Korean Peninsula. Known as the longhorned tick or bush tick, H. Egizi analyzed the tick’s DNA, and was shocked when the identification came back as Haemaphysalis longicornis, a native of East Asia. One went to Andrea Egizi, an entomologist at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences in New Brunswick, N.J. New Jersey residents are advised to contact their county board of health.Unable to identify the ticks, Rainey sent samples to labs across the country. Pennsylvania residents can send samples of ticks to the Penn State University Insect Identification Laboratory. “And we’ll probably treat this like an invasive mosquito. “Because, like many things, and especially this tick, if you catch the infestation early, you can get it under control with little fanfare,” he said. Since the longhorn ticks tends to swarm when they find an acceptable host, Rainey said early identification is key to managing the species. It’s a great way to help your neighbors.” “Without a resident reporting her problem, we wouldn’t have known. for at least a decade, but it hasn’t had the opportunity to thrive,” said Rainey. “There’s some evidence that this tick has been in the U.S. Tadhgh Rainey with Hunterdon County Division of Health in New Jersey helped identify the longhorn, and he urges residents to send in samples of ticks to monitoring organizations in their area. The CDC also recommends taking a shower within two hours of being outdoors - and immediately putting dry clothes that may have come in contact with ticks in the dryer for 10 minutes, or washing wet clothes in hot water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using insect repellent and avoiding “grassy, brushy or wooded areas” where ticks like to hang out. How to prevent tick bites, what to do if you find one “In general, with ticks, it’s important to take precautions not to transfer them into your home,” she said. is going to behave in the climate conditions and on the hosts as they exist here,” Power said. “We don’t know how an invasive insect that’s not native to the U.S. have not yet shown evidence of infections common to other species, such as the deer tick. Longhorn ticks tend to breed in large numbers on livestock, causing severe anemia, she said. WHYY thanks our sponsors - become a WHYY sponsor
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