COLUMBUS, Ohio – The most prevalent ticks found in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois and Tennessee are the American dog tick (which carries Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), the Black-legged tick (also known as the deer tick), which carries Lyme disease, and the Lone Star tick, which is a vector for Ehrlichiosis.

Now two more ticks have been added to the list: The Woodchuck tick and the Brown dog tick (kennel tick).

“Now we have lots of tick threats,” said Dr. Timothy McDermott, an Ohio State University extension educator in Franklin County. “Just last year alone two new types of ticks were established in Ohio.”

“Last year in 2020, as if we didn’t have enough to worry about, we got confirmation of the very first case of the true invasion Asian longhorned tick. That was found on a dog in Gallia County, and we also verified the establishment of breeding colonies of the Gulf Coast tick.”

The Black-legged (or deer) tick is of concern to most as it is the transmitter of Lyme disease. According to the Ohio Department of Health, there were 293 cases of Lyme disease in 2018 and 325 cases in 2019. More than 400 cases of Lyme disease were reported in 2020. “We’ve seen an increase in Ohio in Lyme cases over the past 10 years, and it mirrors the United States,” McDermott said. According to McDermott, symptoms of Lyme disease overlap with symptoms of COVID-19. He added that’s why it’s important to check for ticks because if you know of a tick bite, you can test for a tick-borne disease.

The Black-legged tick is prevalent in the entire eastern half of the United States and are at their worst in summer and fall. These ticks search for a host any time winter temperatures are above freezing. 

The American dog tick is widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains, as well as limited areas on the Pacific coast. Most bites occur in the spring and summer months. This tick transmits Tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

The Lone Star tick is widely found in the southeastern and eastern portions of the country. It is a very aggressive tick that bites humans. Its bite could lead to the transmission of Heartland virus and Ehrlichia ewingii, which can cause human ehrlichiosis.

Brown dog ticks have been found in every U.S. state except Alaska and Hawaii. Dogs are the primary hosts for these parasites, but the tick may also bite humans or other mammals. It can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

 A sixth tick, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, is not a threat to the Midwest. The tick is found in Rocky Mountain states and southwestern Canada from elevations of 4,000 to 10,500 fee. 

 A seventh known tick, the Western black-legged tick, has been spotted in all of California, and portions of Utah, Nevada, Washington and Oregon.