Multistate infestation of an exotic disease vector tick Haemaphysalis longicornis

Authors: BEARD, BEN - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States; OCCI, JAMES - Rutgers University; BONILLA, DENISE - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); EGIZI, ANDREA - Rutgers University; Perez De Leon, Adalberto - Beto; FONSECA, DINA - Rutgers University; MERTINS, JAMES - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); BACKENSON, BYRON - New York Department Of Health; BAJWA, WAHEED - New York Department Of Health; BARBARIN, ALEXIS - North Carolina Division Of Public Health; BERTONE, MATT - North Carolina State University; BROWN, JUSTIN - Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau Of Wildlife Management; CONNALLY, NEETA - University Of Connecticut; CONNELL, NANCY - Johns Hopkins University; FALCO, RICHARD - Fordham University; FOUST, EVELYN - North Carolina Division Of Public Health; JAMES, ANGELA - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); KRELL, RAYDA - Central Connecticut State University; LAHMERS, KEVIN - Virginia-Maryland Regional College Of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM); LEWIS, NICOLE - New Jersey Department Of Agriculture; LITTLE, SUSAN - Oklahoma State University; MAILLARD, JEAN-MARIE - North Carolina Division Of Public Health; MOORE, ZACH - North Carolina Division Of Public Health; NEAULT, MIKE - North Carolina Department Of Agriculture; RANDALL, ADAM - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); RUDER, MARK - University Of Georgia; SALEH, MERIAM - Oklahoma State University; SCHAPPACH, BRITTANY - University Of Connecticut; SCHREODER, BETSY - Pennsylvania Department Of Health; SERAPHIN, LESLIE - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); WEHTJE, MORGAN - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); WILLIAMS, CARL - North Carolina Division Of Public Health; WORMSER, GARY - New York Medical College; YABSLEY, MICHAEL - University Of Georgia; HALPERIN, WILLIAM - Rutgers University

Submitted to: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/11/2018
Publication Date: 11/30/2018
Citation: Beard, B.C., Occi, J., Bonilla, D.L., Egizi, A.M., Perez De Leon, A.A., Fonseca, D.M., Mertins, J.W., Backenson, B., Bajwa, W., Barbarin, A.M., Bertone, M., Brown, J., Connally, N.P., Connell, N., Falco, R., Foust, E., James, A.M., Krell, R., Lahmers, K., Lewis, N., Little, S.E., Maillard, J., Moore, Z., Neault, M., Randall, A.R., Ruder, M.G., Saleh, M.N., Schappach, B., Schreoder, B.A., Seraphin, L., Wehtje, M., Williams, C., Wormser, G.P., Yabsley, M.J., Halperin, W. 2018. Multistate infestation of an exotic disease vector tick Haemaphysalis longicornis. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports. 67:1310-1313. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6747a3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6747a3

Interpretive Summary: Haemaphysalis longicornis (Hl) is a tick species native to Asia, but has made its way to the United States. Where this tick occurs, it can harbor microbes that cause serious diseases, or pathogens, in humans, livestock, companion animals, and wildlife. In late 2017, Hl was discovered infesting a sheep in New Jersey and from August 2017 to August 2018 has been found in 8 other states on a variety of hosts including humans. While no diseases in human and animals that have come into contact with Hl have been reported in the U.S., this tick is known to transmit disease and has successfully done so in Asia. Knowledge gaps about the presence of Hl in the US include: geographic distribution, what it feeds on, current carriage of pathogens, ability to harbor and transmit pathogens, its lifecycle and habitat, and effective means of control. These data will assist in preventing diseases in humans and other animals in the U.S. and likely prevent a public health emergency.

Technical Abstract: Haemaphysalis longicornis (Hl), a tick indigenous to eastern Asia, was discovered on a sheep in New Jersey in August of 2017. This was the first U.S. detection outside of quarantine. Hl is native to eastern China, Japan, the Russian Far East, and Korea. It is an introduced and now established exotic species in Australia, New Zealand, and several island nations in the western Pacific Region. Where this tick occurs, it is an important vector of human and animal disease agents. From August 2017 through August 2018, Hl was identified in multiple New Jersey counties and in eight other states, from a variety of hosts (n=38) including domestic animal (n = 23, 61%), wildlife (n = 13, 34%), and human hosts (n = 2, 5%). Aside from New Jersey, and with the exception of one report from Arkansas, the remaining positive reports are from eight eastern states, ranging geographically from Connecticut to North Carolina. Sixteen of the reports are from New Jersey (30% of all reports), fifteen from Virginia (28%), eleven from West Virginia (21%), three or 6% each from New York and North Carolina (12%), two from Pennsylvania (4%) and one or 2% each from Arkansas, Connecticut, and Maryland (6%) . Reports emanated from 45 of 507 counties (9%) in nine states (table 1) or 1.5% of all U.S. At present there is no evidence that Hl has transmitted disease to humans or animals, either domestic or wildlife in the U.S. This species, however, is known to cause disease in humans and in commercial animals in Asia and Australia, and is considered a competent vector for a number of important agents of human and animal diseases agents in the U.S. Consequently, increased surveillance is warranted. To prevent disease in humans and animals, public health efforts are needed to describe Hl’s geographic distribution, range of hosts both domestic and wildlife, current carriage of pathogens, vector competence and vectorial capacity to transmit pathogens, its life cycle and habitat, and effective means of control.