Virus World

Ticks discovered in New Jersey now have spread into neighboring states. "For the first time in 50 years, a new tick species has been identified in the U.S.," says Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group.

 

"Haemaphysalis longicornus, or the Asian longhorned tick, is in eight states already in the Northeast region of the U.S., primarily affecting livestock." Dr. Poland says the longhorned tick is prolific and can lay as many as 2,000 eggs at a time. "In Asia, it causes a devastating disease called "SFTS"—severe fever and thrombocytopenia syndrome. About 15% of those people have died. It has not happened in the U.S. yet, but epidemiologists are watching closely," says Dr. Poland.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease have doubled over the past 13 years. Lyme disease is the most common, accounting for approximately 82% of all tick-borne cases. Dr. Poland says two recently discovered viruses, the Heartland and Bourbon viruses, also may be connected to ticks, but researchers do not yet have enough information.