Michigan Livestock At Great Risk From Invasive Tick

Ticks being in Michigan is not a new thing.

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Every spring, as nature reawakens and we venture outdoors to enjoy the nice weather, we're reminded to check ourselves and our pets for ticks that might have attached.

Now Michigan residents are being alerted about a newly discovered invasive tick that is still dangerous for humans and our pets, but poses the greatest threat to livestock across the state.

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First Asian Longhorned Tick Discovered In Michigan

Two Asian longhorned ticks were found thanks to routine tick surveillance work conducted by a Calvin University survey crew in Berrien County at Grand Mere State Park.

The tick is usually light brown in color, and about the size of a sesame seed.

But when it's full of blood from its victim, adult females can swell to the size of a pea.

While they can bite humans and other animals, their biggest threat is to livestock, particularly cattle, where large infestations can cause severe blood loss, stress, reduced growth, and even death.

Another concern is their ability to reproduce without mating, with a single female laying up to 2,000 eggs.

This can lead to rapid and large infestations.

While Asian Longhorned ticks are not known to carry Lyme Disease, they are known to carry other diseases that can affect humans and animals, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Heartland virus, and Powassan virus (though these haven't been confirmed outside of a lab setting in the U.S. for this tick).

In other parts of the country, they've been found to carry Theileria orientalis, which causes bovine theileriosis.

Once infected, if the disease doesn't kill the cow, they will carry it for the rest of their lives.

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Pet and livestock owners can take the following steps to help reduce the risk of these ticks coming in contact with their animals.

• Veterinarian-Prescribed Prevention: Use vet-recommended tick prevention (topicals, collars, or oral medications) consistently.
• Routine Tick Checks: Regularly inspect animals, especially after outdoor activity, focusing on areas like eyes, ears, limbs, tail, and toes.
• Prompt, Proper Tick Removal: Use fine-tipped tweezers to pull ticks straight out close to the skin; avoid twisting.
• Pasture Management: For livestock, maintain trimmed grass/weeds and clear brush to reduce tick habitats.
• Veterinarian Consultation & Reporting: Contact your vet for severe infestations or unusual ticks, and consider reporting unusual ticks to the Emerging Diseases website.