A blood-hungry tick is invading Ohio leaving cows dead in its wake

Researchers from The Ohio State University are currently working on monitoring and controlling Asian longhorned ticks, after encountering the first known established population of these parasites in the state. The consequences of the exotic species’ arrival have thus far been devastating: three cows died from what experts suspect to be serious blood loss during an out-of-control feeding frenzy on a farm in the Southeast in 2021.

An invasive threatening species

The Asian longhorned tick is a species of blood-sucking pest native to East Asia, including countries like China, Japan, Korea, and parts of Russia. In recent years, the pest has gained worldwide attention because it has been found in various parts of North America, Australia, and New Zealand, where it is considered invasive and a threat to livestock and perhaps even humans although they are not the species’ primary targets.