LANSING, Mich. – Cattle producers and other livestock owners in Michigan are urged to keep closer watch of their animals since the discovery of the first Asian longhorned tick (ALHT) in the state.

According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), the blood sucking tick native to eastern Asia was confirmed June 11 from test results of specimens collected at Grand Mere State Park in Berrien County near Stevensville.

ALHT was first confirmed in the U.S. in 2017 in New Jersey. It has spread to more than 20 other states in the eastern part of the nation, including some in the Midwest like Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

The concern about the potential impact on the health of animals, particularly cattle, is over the ability of this species of ticks to grow rapidly in population and totally infest an animal.

Female ALHT’s can produce without a mate and lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time, MDARD said.

Large infestations of the tick have been known to form on an animal, causing stress, reduced growth and production along with death from blood loss. 

Even though the ALHT is not known to carry Lyme Disease, the species can cause tickborne diseases affecting humans and animals, according to MDARD.

“By knowing this species of tick is in our state, we will increase our educational outreach to producers, animal owners and animal health professionals so we can all do our part to safeguard animal and public health, said State Veterinarian Dr. Nora Wineland.

The discovery in the far southwest corner of Michigan was through routine tick surveillance efforts by research students at Calvin University, who have been studying the ecology and distribution of ticks in western Michigan since 2020, said William Miller, assistant professor of biology at the college in Grand Rapids.

Miller, who’s also a certified wildlife biologist, said future monitoring of the tick will be ongoing.

“Since the longhorn tick is an agricultural pest of concern, our research team is continuing surveillance in the region to identify the potential distribution of the species, which will help to define the risk it poses to livestock,” he said.

According to MDARD, tracking of the tick will also occur now in other parts of the state with help from academic partners, local health departments and other state and federal agencies.

Female ALHT’s are about the size of a sesame seed or smaller, are light brown in color and can grow to about the size of a pea when full of blood.

However, they can be mistaken for other tick species, MDARD said. ALHT’s have also been found on other animals such as goats, sheep, horses, chickens, dogs and cats.

The ticks collected in other parts of the country have been found to carry a pathogen that causes bovine theileriosis.

According to USDA, signs of bovine theileriosis infection range from weakness, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing to reduced milk production and abortion. MDARD is recommending livestock and owners of other animals to contact their veterinarians about performing regular tick treatments.

Other preventative measures include checking for ticks around the eyes, ears, limbs, tail and toes. Any ticks should be removed as quickly as possible.  

According to MDARD, owners should also keep tall grass in pastures and lawns trimmed back or mowed along buildings and property edges.

Property owners are also advised to remove brush and leaves from the ground and create mulch barriers to help make spaces tick safe.

People finding an unusual-looking tick on an animal or a tick they suspect might be an ALHT should send it to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for identification, according to MDARD.

For more information visit www.michigan.gov/mdard