Connecticut: First evidence of the invasive longhorned tick infected with Ehrlichia chaffeensis in the US
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) reports the first evidence of the invasive longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) infection with Ehrlichia chaffeensis in the U.S.
Since its initial discovery in the U.S. in August 2017, the longhorned tick has expanded into at least 21 states, primarily in the east and northeast (including Connecticut), as well as the District of Columbia.
This tick, which is invasive in Australia, New Zealand, and a number of Pacific Islands, is native to eastern Asia and thrives in warm, humid environments. According to environmental suitability models, this tick will spread throughout the eastern U.S., presumably helped by its capacity for parthenogenetic (without a male) reproduction and unrestricted feeding.
Asian longhorned ticks with Maria Diuk-Wasser, PhD
Ehrlichia chaffeensis is a Gram-negative bacterium mostly spread by the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), frequently infects monocytes (a type of white blood cell), and causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME).
Symptoms of HME can start with a sudden high fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, and a general feeling of weakness and fatigue within a few weeks after initial infection. In some individuals, symptoms may progress to include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and/or confusion.
If not treated quickly, HME can lead to life-threatening symptoms, such as kidney failure and respiratory insufficiency in some cases. There is no vaccine to prevent ehrlichiosis. The illness can be prevented by preventing tick bites, preventing ticks on your pets, and preventing ticks in your yard.