The Longhorned tick has spread to a seventh New Jersey county. A little more than a month after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) was found at Soldier Hill Golf Course in Bergen County, it also was spotted in Monmouth County and now in Somerset County.
Looks like a pattern here; the tick is probably aiming for all 21 counties in the state..
Previously, the tick was found in Hunterdon, Union, Middlesex and Mercer counties.Some of these findings were a result of a statewide “Tick Blitz,” led by the Rutgers Center for Vector Biology in May and developed primarily by professionals from New Jersey’s county mosquito control programs.
Public parks where the Longhorned tick has been found include Davidson Mill County Pond Park in Middlesex County, as well as the Watchung Reservation, Houdaille Quarry Park and Briant Park in Union County.
Like deer ticks, the nymphs of the Longhorned tick are very small (resembling tiny spiders) and can easily go unnoticed on animals and people. Although specimens identified in New Jersey have not been found to carry pathogens, 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.
“We want to emphasize that it is important that people continue to use normal tick prevention measures for themselves, their pets and livestock,” said Dr. Manoel Tamassia, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian. “We will work to continue to develop strategies to control the spread of the tick to other areas.”
As part of New Jersey’s investigation, counties have set up drop-off locations for the public to submit ticks they find on themselves, their pets, livestock or on wildlife. Information on these locations and how to submit a tick can be found on the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s website at http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/divisions/ah/
A phone line has also been established to leave a message if a tick is found and there is uncertainty about what the next steps are. If you need information about what to do if you find a tick on yourself, your pets or livestock call 1-833-NEWTICK (1-833-639-8425).
For more information on ticks and tick-borne disease visit: Rutgers Center for Vector Biology:http://vectorbio.rutgers.edu/news.php; Rhode Island Tick Encounter site: http://www.tickencounter.org/; or TickCheck Tick Testing: https://www.tickcheck.com.