Exotic tick species spreads to Middlesex County

NEW BRUNSWICK - The exotic tick first discovered in Hunterdon County continues to spread to other parts of the state.

On Wednesday, the state Department of Agriculture announced the Longhorned tick, also known as the East Asian tick, was found on Rutgers University's Cook Campus.

The tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) was found in a patch of high grass along College Farm Road, according to a news release.

EARLIER:Tick first found in Hunterdon makes its way to Union County

EARLIER:Exotic tick found on Hunterdon County farm was first in country

Samples were collected during a statewide “Tick Blitz” on May 10 led by the Rutgers Center for Vector Biology. Results of the Tick Blitz, including confirmation of whether Longhorned ticks were found elsewhere in New Jersey, will be available soon.

On April 23, confirmation was made by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory that a Longhorned tick was found at the Watchung Reservation in Union County.

Longhorned ticks found in New Jersey thus far have tested negative for pathogens dangerous to humans or animals.

The first Longhorned tick was confirmed at a Hunterdon County farm in November 2017. Various local, state and federal animal health agencies, as well as Rutgers-New Brunswick, are working together to identify the range of the ticks and develop a plan to eliminate them from the areas where they are found.

“We will continue with our plan to do what we can to delineate the areas with the tick and eliminate it from known sites of infestation,” said Manoel Tamassia, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian. “We emphasize that people continue to use tick prevention measures for themselves and their animals as all ticks become more active with warmer temperatures.”

Robert Goodman, executive dean of the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Health Sciences, said, “Our Rutgers Center for Vector Biology is playing a lead role as we seek to determine how widespread this tick is across New Jersey, and develop the best ways to eliminate it."

He said his team is taking steps to eliminate the ticks where they were found on campus.

"From a public health standpoint, however, people should be more concerned about our native ticks and the diseases they may carry, such as Lyme disease," he said. "Because this is tick season, people enjoying the outdoors should follow the standard steps to protect themselves, their children and their pets from tick-borne disease.”

Rutgers–New Brunswick’s New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station provides information on tick-borne diseases at https://njaes.rutgers.edu/tick/.

The Hunterdon County location where the tick was first found completed a tick elimination treatment on May 3. Tick surveillance on the premises and in the area is still ongoing.

The exotic ticks found in Union County were also located within small isolated area with tall grass, similar to the one found here.

Like deer-ticks, the nymphs of the Longhorned tick are very small (resembling tiny spiders) and can easily go unnoticed on animals and people, according to the release. Although specimens identified in New Jersey have not been found to carry pathogens, Longhorned ticks in other countries have spread disease to humans. They are known to infest a wide range of species including humans, dogs, cats and livestock.

Surveillance has continued at the Hunterdon County and Union County sites as planned and will also continue at the Middlesex County site. The Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology, along with the Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division, led the statewide “Tick Blitz” last week with mosquito control commissions representing each county in New Jersey.

Earlier this month, Hunterdon County health officials announced reports on the danger of the new invasive East Asian tick, also known as the Longhorned tick, are overblown and unfounded.

Still, if unusual ticks are detected in livestock animals or if there are any questions regarding livestock, the state Department of Agriculture is asking those to contact the State Veterinarian at 609-671-6400.

Unusual ticks detected in wildlife should be immediately reported to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Fish and Wildlife Health and Forensics at 908-637-4173 ext. 120.

Persons with questions about tickborne illness in humans can contact their local health department http://localhealth.nj.gov or the New Jersey Department of Health at 609-826-5964.

Staff Writer Nick Muscavage: 908-243-6615; ngmuscavage@gannettnj.com