New Tick Species Found In Ohio Is Killing Cattle, Will It Make It To MN?

A relatively new species of tick to the United States has been linked to cattle deaths in Ohio. Can this relatively new to the US tick be able to make it to MN, let alone survive? Here's what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said about the Asian Longhorned Tick.

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This species of tick is not "normally found in the Western Hemisphere, these ticks were reported for the first time in the United States in 2017." The tick in some research has been shown to "carry and spread the bacteria that causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever (Rickettsia rickettsii). The germs that cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever have not yet been found in these ticks in nature."

Some good news about this tick is that it doesn't seem to be overly attracted to human skin as compared to other species of ticks, according to the CDC. AgDaily reported that "So far, these ticks are not deemed to be a threat to human health. They tend to favor large livestock and wildlife, such as cattle and deer."

But AgDaily did go on to state;

Researchers say the tiny brown ticks — the size of a sesame seed in some life stages and pea-sized when engorged — are persistent, however; Surveillance showed they returned the following summer to the farm despite the application of pesticides in 2021.

"As of April 13, 2023, longhorned ticks have been found in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia."

I bolded the states that are considered 'cold-weather' states like Minnesota, and as you can see it looks like this type of tick can survive the colder weather climates, so it's feasible if the tick is brought here, it might not only survive the winter, but if it reproduces it could be a real headache for Minnesotans.

You can learn more about the tick from the CDC here.