Long-horned Tick Potential To Transmit Lyme

The deer tick is well known for being the culprit in the transmission of tick borne Lyme disease. This debilitating virus that is spread through the bite of an infected tick, has been making its way across the United States, however, until now it was only the deer tick that was responsible. Could there be another tick on the horizon that may also be a threat to the transmission of Lyme? Here’s an article with more information.

New tick, new threat?

When the Pennsylvania Game Commission discovered a longhorned tick on a deer in Centre County last month, Cassetori, who is the director of education and outreach with the PA Lyme Resource Network, had a hunch it was going to happen after the pest appeared in New Jersey last year. So does the recent finding mean there’s another tick, in addition to the deer tick, that can carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease?

So there has not yet been a verdict as to whether this critter could be joining forces with the deer tick and increasing the risk of Lyme. Long-horned ticks adopt a different habitat in winter to keep themselves protected from the cold, which means that their chance of survival through the colder months is higher. Ultimately, this means the tick population rises.

The tick was first detected in New Jersey in 2017, but it has rapidly made its way to Virginia, West Virginia, New York, Arkansas, North Carolina and now Pennsylvania.

An Invasive New Tick Is Spreading in the U.S.

For the first time in 50 years, a new tick species has arrived in the United States — one that in its Asian home range carries fearsome diseases. The Asian long-horned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, is spreading rapidly along the Eastern Seaboard. It has been found in seven states and in the heavily populated suburbs of New York City. At the moment, public health experts say they are concerned, but not alarmed.

There is no need to be alarmed, but if your tick control isn’t up to date, then it’s time that it was. By taking action and making your home as safe as possible, you are contributing to the reduction of the spread of Lyme. Every positive action counts, no matter how small!