Exotic Tick Discovered: Longhorned Tick in New Jersey
Transcript of 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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As of May 11, 2018
4 positive premises detected
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Where in NJ –
How far to
other States?
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When did it likely arrive?
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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
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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
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Pets and people
• NJ is the most
densely populated
state
• Large companies (NY
metropolitan area)
with frequent
international travel
• Military bases
• Many world travelers
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Epidemiolgic surveys
• Neighbors within 1 km of Hunterdon-1
• Livestock premises within 3 km of IPs
• Imported horses
• Imported S. Korean meat dog rescue
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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
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Has it spread further from the Ips?
• CO2 traps
• Dragging for ticks
• Passive surveillance
• Outreach
• Deer, mesomammal
and small mammal
trapping
• Bird mist nets
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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
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The rabbit tick
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Local IMT (D1) week of April 30th
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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
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Big Questions
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• 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?
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Questions?
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