Voracious Asian Tick Arrives In Rockland

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — The longhorned tick has been found in Rockland County, officials said. This tick is capable of reproducing at remarkable speed and of gorging on so much blood that it kills itself — and it is rapidly spreading in the tri-state area.

An Asian import, the longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, was first seen infesting the ear of a sheep in Hunterdon County, NJ. It has since been found in many suburban areas surrounding New York City, including in Westchester County, as was announced in July.

In Asia, the species carries a virus that is fatal for 15 percent of its victims. No human disease has yet been found in the insects discovered in the U.S, though health experts are concerned.

"It is encouraging that the same steps that protect against deer ticks are also effective against the longhorned tick," said Rockland County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert. "Taking steps to protect yourself, your children and pets against ticks is the best way to prevent tick bites and tickborne diseases."

New York State Department of Health research scientists collaborated with researchers at Fordham University and at the Lyme Disease Diagnostic Center of New York Medical College to identify these ticks. The identifications were confirmed by the Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology and the United States Department of Agriculture.

The longhorned tick is commonly found in Australia, New Zealand and eastern Asia. However, these ticks have been found recently in New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Arkansas. It's the first new species of tick to be found in the U.S. in 50 years, the New York Times reports.

Female longhorned ticks can lay hundreds of fertile eggs in one sitting without mating.

More research is needed to determine whether the ticks carrying disease can infect people in the United States, Ruppert said.

Regardless, take steps to protect yourself, your children, and your pets against ticks and tickborne diseases that are present throughout the State.

While hiking, working, or spending time in wooded areas:

• Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts to protect against ticks other biting insects.
• Check for ticks often while outdoors and brush off any ticks before they attach.
• Perform a full body check multiple times during the day, as well as at the end of the day to ensure that no ticks are attached.
• Consider use of repellents containing DEET, picaridin or IR3535, following label instructions.

If you have been bitten by a tick of any kind, contact your health care provider immediately if you develop a rash or flu-like symptoms.

SEE: Asian Tick Spreading Rapidly In New York, Report Says

Photo caption: Top row: black-legged/deer tick nymphs and adults; middle row: poppy seeds; bottom row: nymph and adult longhorned ticks. Photo credit: NYS Department of Health.