Source: Kentucky State University College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

The first confirmed Asian longhorned tick for the state of Kentucky was found in Martin County. The Asian longhorned tick is a new, invasive tick species that was reported in the United States for the first time in New Jersey in 2017. It is now confirmed in 10 states, including Kentucky. Like many ticks, the Asian longhorned tick has the potential to transmit pathogens to humans and livestock. So far, there have been no confirmed pathogens associated with specimens of this tick that have been tested in Kentucky or North America, but that could change. 

What we know about Asian longhorned ticks

• Not normally found in the Western Hemisphere, these ticks were reported for the first time in the United States in 2017.
• Asian longhorned ticks have been found on pets, livestock, wildlife, and people.
• The female ticks can lay eggs and reproduce without mating.
• Up to thousands of ticks may be found at a time.

What we know about Asian longhorned ticks in the U.S. and Kentucky:

• In other countries, bites from these ticks can make people and animals seriously ill. As of March 25, 2019, no harmful germs have been found in the ticks collected in the United States. Research is ongoing.
• Researchers are looking for these ticks to find out where they live.
• As of May 2019, longhorned ticks have been found in Ark., Conn., Ky., Md., N.C., N.J., N.Y., Pa., Va., W.Va.

For more information: 

• Asian Longhorned Tick In Kentucky
• Northeast Regional Center for Vector-Borne Diseases​​ Factsheet