Asian Longhorned Tick
The Asian Longhorned tick is an invasive species now found in 12 states.
Who's at Risk?
While no human illnesses have been reported in the US, in Asia it is a vector for Japanese encephalitis.
Behaviors
This tick has been found in sunny areas with short grass—an environment that other ticks avoid. It attacks cattle and other animals. It is not uncommon to find thousands of ticks on a single victim. Experts are watching this tick closely to make sure it's not spreading tick-borne diseases commonly found in the US.
Resources
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy First US human bite from worrying longhorned tick noted June 3, 2019 A 66-year-old man from Yonkers, NY is the first human in the United States known to bitten by an Asian Longhorned tick, a rapidly spreading invasive species. Tick sampling found Asian Longhorned ticks on the patient's manicured lawn, some of them in direct sun. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2019/06/first-us-human-bite-worrying-longhorned-tick-noted https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/cid/ciz449/5509416?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) CDC investigating disease threat posed by fast-multiplying exotic tick Nov 29, 2018 Pathogens found in the Asian Longhorned tick in other parts of the world include Borrelia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Babesia. The females can lay eggs and reproduce without mating…Up to thousands of ticks may be found at a time, or on an animal…As of May 22, 2019, Asian Longhorned ticks have been found in AK, CT, DE, KY, MD, NC, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA., and WV. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/pdfs/AsianLonghornedTick-P.pdf