University of Missouri (MU) researchers have made a concerning discovery in Boone County, Missouri, as invasive longhorned ticks have been detected for the first time. This tick species poses a serious threat to cattle health in mid-Missouri and has already caused significant agricultural losses worldwide, amounting to millions of dollars for livestock producers. The longhorned ticks can potentially transmit various pathogens to humans, raising public health concerns.
Rosalie Ierardi, a clinical instructor at the MU Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, and a doctoral student at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, found these ticks in northern Missouri last year. The recent discovery in Boone County, part of Ierardi's ongoing doctoral dissertation studies, highlights the urgency to address this emerging issue.
The invasive long horned ticks can carry theileriosis, a disease that proves fatal to cattle by destroying red blood cells. The symptoms include weight loss, fatigue, weakness, jaundice, and pregnancy loss, all of which result in economic consequences for cattle ranchers, especially when selling their calves.
Originating from eastern Russia and Australasia, the longhorned tick was first identified outside quarantine in the United States in 2017 and has since spread across at least 19 states, including the Mid-Atlantic, New England, and Midwestern regions. Female longhorned ticks can lay thousands of eggs asexually, allowing them to establish in new areas rapidly.
Professor Ram Raghavan, who mentors Ierardi, emphasizes the importance of raising awareness among veterinarians and livestock producers in Missouri. The increasing temperatures, along with more outdoor activities in tick-prone areas, contribute to ticks transmitting pathogens to wildlife, humans, and pets.
As the ticks' presence is likely to persist, MU researchers call for vigilance and continuous monitoring of the situation to gather critical information about the biology of ticks in the central Midwest. Missouri cattle ranchers who notice any signs of weakness, tiredness, jaundice, or pregnancy loss in their livestock are encouraged to seek assistance from local veterinarians or the MU VMDL to identify and address the causes promptly.
The University of Missouri is determined to continue helping veterinarians and livestock producers in protecting animals from this increasing danger to their health.
Photo Credit: new-jersey-department-of-agriculture
Categories: Missouri, Livestock, Rural Lifestyle