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

1


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


As of May 11, 2018

4 positive premises detected

11


Where in NJ –

How far to

other States?

12


When did it likely arrive?

13


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

14


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

15


Pets and people

• NJ is the most

densely populated

state

• Large companies (NY

metropolitan area)

with frequent

international travel

• Military bases

• Many world travelers

16


Epidemiolgic surveys

• Neighbors within 1 km of Hunterdon-1

• Livestock premises within 3 km of IPs

• Imported horses

• Imported S. Korean meat dog rescue

17


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

18


Has it spread further from the Ips?

• CO2 traps

• Dragging for ticks

• Passive surveillance

• Outreach

• Deer, mesomammal

and small mammal

trapping

• Bird mist nets

19


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

20

The rabbit tick


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

21


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

22


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

23


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

24


Local IMT (D1) week of April 30th

25

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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

27


Big Questions

28

• 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?


Questions?

29

exotic tick discovered: longhorned tick in new jersey

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