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New Blood Sucking Tick Species Spreading in the United States

by Hannah Joy on Aug 11 2018 3:36 PM

New Blood Sucking Tick Species Spreading in the United States
New tick species is spreading rapidly in the seven states and suburbs of the eastern United States. It appeared after 50 years and has first been confirmed in the New York City.
The Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) carries a virus that can kill about 15 percent of its victims. However, it poses a great threat to the livestock than to humans, reported The New York Times.

In Australia, it is known as the bush tick and in New Zealand, as the cattle tick. US public health experts are concerned, but are not alarmed by the presence of the longhorned tick.

The ticks reproduce rapidly. Ticks can cause death, as they suck a lot of blood from the young animal, reported The Times.

The first longhorned tick in the US was found last summer in western New Jersey. After that, it was found in Bergen, Essex, and Middlesex counties in that state, in New York's Westchester County, and in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The ticks were found feeding on horses, deer, dogs, a calf, a sheep, and an opossum. They do feed on humans, but can protect themselves by using repellents and checking for ticks after walking through woods or tall grass, reported The Times.



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