The USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) has confirmed that the Asian Longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) was discovered in Somerset County, making it the seventh county in New Jersey where the tick has been found.
Image/NJ Dept of Ag
The tick was found on a dog at a residence and was confirmed to be the Asian Longhorned tick earlier this week. Earlier findings have been confirmed in Bergen, Hunterdon, Union, Middlesex, Mercer and Monmouth counties.
“The public has played an important role in helping us identify areas where this tick may be located,” said Dr. Manoel Tamassia, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian. “The knowledge we have gained from these findings will help us make decisions at local and national levels.”
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Public parks where the Asian Longhorned tick has been found in New Jersey include Davidson Mill County Pond Park in Middlesex County, Overpeck County Park in Bergen County, and Watchung Reservation, Houdaille Quarry Park and Briant Park in Union County. There have also been confirmed findings of the Asian Longhorned tick in Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Arkansas.
Like deer ticks, the nymphs of the Asian Longhorned tick are very small (resembling tiny spiders) and can easily go unnoticed on animals and people. Asian Longhorned ticks in other countries have been shown to spread diseases. They are known to infest a wide range of species including humans, dogs, cats, and livestock.
