Troublesome species of Asian tick makes its way into state
A new, troublesome tick species may be uncomfortably near when warm weather returns, the Centers for Disease Control recently warned.
A Nov. 30 CDC report cites two cases of the tick being found in Pennsylvania, one in Centre County and the other in Bucks County. They're to the south, as well — the bugs have been found in northern West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia.
These ticks, commonly called Asian longhorned ticks, appear to be spreading through the eastern United States after initially being found on a sheep in New Jersey last year. They've been found on various domestic and wild animals as well as on humans.
So what's so bad about these bugs? In the far-eastern countries it calls home, the insect plays host to a slew of nasty diseases, the CDC reports.
Though ticks with diseases haven't been found in the U.S. yet, elsewhere they carry thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, or SFTS. Of 36 cases in South Korea in 2013, 17 people who got SFTS from the ticks died.
Diseases carried by the ticks are similarly harmful in livestock populations.
The CDC has found the tick in nine states. All except for Arkansas are in the east.
With Russia as one of its origin countries, Asian longhorned ticks can survive temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius, or 14 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a warning report by the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases, the CDC and Cornell University. They burrow underground to avoid colder temperatures.
The report suggests that authorities hope to eliminate or mitigate this new invader: “A broad range of interventions should be evaluated, including insecticide and acaricide sensitivity testing,” the report reads. “Many state and federal agencies are developing and disseminating information for stakeholders, including development of hotlines, and some states are identifying ticks submitted by the public.”
Ticks are obviously a bothersome and dangerous part of American life already, particularly when it comes to pets. For those fearing both the old and new varieties, Vanessa Speer, Butler County Humane Society veterinary technician, offers some advice.
“Always check your dog or cat when they come inside,” Speer said. “Check your pets every time, just like you would your own kids.”
The humane society deals with its share of ticks: Speer said well over half the dogs they take in arrive with the unwanted passengers.
New ticks or old, she recommends preventative treatments, be they topical or collar-distributed.
And if a tick latches onto you or your pet, remove it as quickly as you can, the CDC advises. The bugs should be gripped with a pair of tweezers as close as possible to your skin and their heads. Pull them out slowly and steadily, so as not to leave the head behind. Once Speer removes the bugs, she uses a CDC-approved method of dispatching them: She drops her ticks in alcohol.
“If you don't, they can crawl right back up the drain,” Speer said.
