exotic tick discovered: longhorned tick in new jersey

Safeguarding Animal Health

Exotic Tick Discovered:

Longhorned Tick in New Jersey

Leslie Seraphin Denise Bonilla

District 1 Epidemiology Officer Entomologist

USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services

17 May 2018

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Background • August: Lady in NJ

came in with some

ticks to local

mosquito control

• Late October/Early

November: On

investigation, many

ticks on a sheep

and in it’s pen that

don’t “look normal”

• Molecular ID by

Rutgers then

confirmed by NVSL

to be

Haemaphysalis

longicornis

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Haemaphysalis longicornis

• AKA Scrub, bush, long-

horned tick

• 3 host hard tick exotic to

the U.S.

• Originally from North

East Asia then expanded

into Australia and New

Zealand

• Like meadow areas

where rain>5 cm/month

• Survive harsh winters

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Morphology

• Size of Adult: 2-3 mm

• Engorged: 10 mm

• “Chinese hat” capitulum

• Three other Haemaphysalis in U.S.

Rabbit Tick:

H. leporispalustris

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Biology

• Invasive form is parthenogenetic tick

Don’t need males to lay fertile eggs

In Australia, obligate and males are rare (1:400

females)

Create explosive mini populations

– Animals may die from anemia/exsanguination

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Environmental Conditions

• Japanese, N. China, Russia pops:

survive harsh winters (min less

than 28ºF)

• Australia pops: not as cold

tolerant (>35ºF)

• Some populations in warmer

climates do not diapause at all

• Like > 80 relative humidity

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Life Cycle (mild climate)

• Summer: Females lay 800-2000 eggs

• Late Summer/Early Fall: Larvae hatch and crawl to tips of grasses. Feed on host 3-5 days then drop to molt

• OVERWINTER (diapause) as nymphs

• Nymphs emerge in spring. Feed 5-7 days. Drop and molt to adults

• Mid-Summer adults find host and feed 7-14 days

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Hosts

• Primarily Cattle

But also: sheep, dogs, humans, yak,

donkeys, hedgehogs, horses, pigs,

ducks, turkeys, chickens, mynas,

magpies, pheasants, budgerigar, thrush,

skylark, kiwis, banded rails, sparrows,

rabbits, goats, badgers, cats, deer, bears,

foxes, raccoons, kangaroos, chipmunks,

rats, mice, ferrets, stoats, weasels,

brushtail possums, wallaroos, wallabies,

bandicoots, etc..Zheng et al 2011

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Some of the Pathogens..

• Anaplasma phagocytophilum

• Anaplasma bovis

• Borrelia spp.

• Theileria spp

• Babesia ovata

• Babesia major

• Babesia gibsoni

• Babesia bigemina and bovis

• Babesia (Thelieria) equi

• Rickettsia japonica

• Ehrlichia chafeensis

• Powassan virus

• Khasan virus

• Tick-borne encephalitis virus

• Russian Spring-Summer Encephalitis Virus

• Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia syndrome

• Huaiyangshan virus hemorrhagic fever

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As of May 11, 2018

4 positive premises detected

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Where in NJ –

How far to

other States?

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When did it likely arrive?

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How did it get here?

• Human visitors with

recent travel to

Australasia

• Imported livestock,

including horses

• Imported pets,

including dogs and

rescue dogs from

Asia

• Packages of items

from Australasia

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Epidemiology – animal imports

• Horses from Australia

& New Zealand

TB 2017

Pleasure horse 2017

• Imported dogs

rescued from dog

meat farm in South

Korea

End of April 2016

120 dogs to NJ, 100

to NE US shelters =

20 in NJ

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Pets and people

• NJ is the most

densely populated

state

• Large companies (NY

metropolitan area)

with frequent

international travel

• Military bases

• Many world travelers

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Epidemiolgic surveys

• Neighbors within 1 km of Hunterdon-1

• Livestock premises within 3 km of IPs

• Imported horses

• Imported S. Korean meat dog rescue

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How did it spread?

• Hunterdon-1 and Union-1 ticks preliminary

DNA testing suggests single progenitor female

tick

• People, dogs, horses?

• Wildlife movement?

• Wild birds

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Has it spread further from the Ips?

• CO2 traps

• Dragging for ticks

• Passive surveillance

• Outreach

• Deer, mesomammal

and small mammal

trapping

• Bird mist nets

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Re-check previously tick surveillance

• May 2017 ticks collect in

Union County 2000+ acre

county park

• Originally identified as the

rabbit tick

• Tick lab rechecked – including

DNA – and the NVSL

confirmed on April 23, 2018

they are H. longicornis

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The rabbit tick

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Surveillance• 3 km CO2 trapping

• Tick sweeping,

flagging, dragging

• Neighbor residence

visits within 1 km

Hunterdon-1

• All livestock premises

within 3 km of IP

• Animal shelters

• Veterinary practices

• Military bases

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Statewide surveillance

• Tick Blitz

• Active by Wildlife

Enforcement Officers

from road-killed deer

• Passive by public tick

submissions in every

county

• Livestock auctions

• FSIS and CE

slaughter

• Active – Co.

Mosquito

Commissions

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Current goals• Has the tick spread

• Where in NJ is the tick

found

Treat or recommend

treatment of

hyperenvironments?

• Education

Veterinarians

Animal owners

General public

Hunters

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Outreach

• Hunterdon-1 neighbors within 1 km

• Livestock facilities within 3 km

• Veterinary clinics near IPs

• Animal shelters near IPs

• Hunter information

• Agricultural Extension Agents

• General public – press releases

• Livestock group meetings

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Local IMT (D1) week of April 30th

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Agencies involved in HL tick control• County

Hunterdon Co. Dept of Health

County Mosquito Control Commissions

Union County Parks & Recreation

• SCWDS

• Rutgers University

• NJ

Dept of Environmental Protection Fish & Game

Dept of Agriculture, Div. of Animal Health

NJ Mosquito Commission

• USDA APHIS

Veterinary Services

Wildlife Services

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Big Questions

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• Is the HL tick in multiple states?

Confirmed in VA on May 14, 2018

No direct link to NJ findings

• Are any of the invasive ticks carrying foreign

livestock diseases?

• Are any of the invasive ticks carrying SFTS?

• Is there a need for National Surveillance?

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Questions?

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