Ticks may not seem dangerous, but they can cause disease and even death in livestock and pets. There are hundreds of tick species in the world, about 10 percent of these species are found in the United States. Now there’s one more to watch out for. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed the presence of the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis). It probably arrived in the United States in or before 2010. Exactly how or when is unknown, but one thing is certain: it may have entered on domestic pets, horses, livestock or people. While we know the impact of this tick in other parts of the world, we are still studying how they may affect U.S. agriculture, and our environment.
See related resource: Data Visualization Tools to explore plant and animal health management data and interactive story maps