The sesame seed-sized arachnid causes serious problems in domestic animals and livestock, officials said.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Researchers at Washington University identified the first invasive longhorned tick ever found in suburban St. Louis County, the university said on Thursday.
The sesame-seed-sized arachnid is considered a “serious threat,” according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The tick has transmitted diseases to domestic animals and livestock in Australia, New Zealand and multiple countries in eastern Asia. It has also killed animals from blood loss during severe infestations.
WashU undergraduate researcher Sam Ko collected and identified the tick in the county.
“We have only found one longhorned tick in St. Louis County so far, but it’s likely that there are more,” said Solny Adalsteinsson, who leads the Tyson Research Center’s tick and wildlife ecology team.
The university said it is working to expand tick collection efforts throughout the region after the find and will partner with St. Louis County’s “Tick Watch STL” program, which allows residents to send in ticks to Vector Borne Disease Prevention in Olivette.
The county also published a public dashboard for the tick collection program which includes a map of tick collection locations and detailed information of each type of tick.
We want to give residents the tools to make decisions in their best interest and let them know that we are here for them when they have questions or need support,” said J. Brooke Dedrick, a vector-borne disease prevention specialist with St. Louis County’s Department of Public Health.
Missouri does not have a state-wide tick submission program, but it does allow residents to report certain tick-borne diseases and conditions to local health agencies or the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services. Click here to learn more.
