Michigan

Beef Producers Be Aware: Dangerous Asian Longhorned Tick Continues Migrating West

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 13:21:51 GMT

The Asian Longhorned Tick (ALHT) poses a serious threat to cattle health. ALHTs carry Theileria, which is a protozoan parasite that infects red and white blood cells. It can lead to anemia and, in some cases, death.

ALHTs are native to eastern Asia, eastern China, Japan, the Russian Far East and Korea but were introduced to Australia, New Zealand and western Pacific Islands. In other countries, it can also be called a bush tick, cattle tick or scrub tick.

In the U.S., ALHT was first detected in New Jersey in 2017. Since then, it has spread to more than 20 states with recent confirmations in Illinois , Michigan and Iowa .

According to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) ALHTs are known to carry pathogens, which can cause disease and may also cause distress to the host from their feeding in large numbers. For example, a dairy cow may have a 25% decrease in milk production after becoming a host.

A female can reproduce without a mate and lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time. This can cause great stress on a heavily infested animal and result in reduced growth and production. A severe infestation can kill the animal from excessive blood loss.

Asian longhorned tick life stages and relative actual size.

(Photos of unfed ticks by Centers for Disease Control. Photos of engorged ticks by Jim Occi, Rutgers, Center for Vector Biology.)

What does it look like?

Unfed ALHTs range from a light reddish-tan to a dark red with brown, dark markings. While the adult female grows to the size of a pea when full of blood, other stages of the tick are very small — about the size of a sesame seed.

Adult females are a grey-green with yellowish markings. Male ticks are rare.

APHIS reports it only takes a single tick to create a population in a new location.

The above photos are of a AHLT engorged (on the left) and an adult AHLT not engorged.

(New Jersey Department of Agriculture)

ALHTs need warm-blooded hosts to feed and survive. They have been found on various species of domestic animals — such as sheep, goats, dogs, cats, horses, cattle and chickens — and wildlife. The tick has also been found on people.

What are the health risks?

APHIS says ALHTs are not known to carry Lyme disease, but they can cause tickborne diseases affecting humans and animals such as:

Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Heartland virus
Powassan virus

APHIS says those diseases have not been confirmed outside of a laboratory setting in the U.S. In addition, U.S. ALHT populations can transmit U.S. Theileria orientalis Ikeda strain (Cattle theileriosis) in the laboratory.

In an Iowa State University release , Grant Dewell, Extension beef veterinarian and associate professor, says cattle affected by Theileriosis will show signs of lethargy, anemia and difficulty breathing. They may develop ventral edema, exercise intolerance, jaundice and abortions.

“Although signs of Theileriosis are similar to anaplasmosis, younger animals and calves often display more severe signs compared to mature cows and bulls,” he says. “Due to anemia from both tick infestation and Theileria, the risk of death can be elevated. If cattle producers suspect either Theileria or ALHT, have a veterinarian collect appropriate samples and submit them to a veterinary diagnostic lab.”

According to an Oklahoma State University press release , under laboratory conditions ALHT is a competent vector of numerous pathogens that can cause disease in humans, including Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), Heartland Virus and Powassan Virus.

In “ Clinical Infectious Diseases, ” Bobbi Pritt, MD, MSC, with the division of clinical microbiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., reported a human bite that occurred in New York in 2019. She says though the report of a human bite isn’t surprising, it proves the invasive longhorned tick continues to bite hosts in its newest location.

“This is extremely worrisome for several reasons,” she writes. “One reason is Asian longhorned ticks can carry several important human pathogens, including the potentially fatal severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus and Rickettsia japonica, which cases Japanese spotted fever. While these pathogens have yet to be found in the United States, there is a risk of their future introduction.”

Also, Pritt says several other human pathogens have been detected in the ticks, but it’s not clear if the ALHT species are able to transmit them to humans. They include Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Borrelia species. Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria.

She warns the organisms are present in states where ALHTs have been found and that it’s possible the tick — known to be an aggressive biter— might be able to transmit Heartland virus given its close relationship to SFTS virus.

How to Tackle Ticks

According to APHIS, various strategies effectively mitigate tick populations on hosts and in the environment.

Regular tick treatments should be effective against ALHTs. Consult your veterinarian or agriculture extension agent about which products to use.
Check your livestock for ticks regularly.
Safely remove ticks from people and pets as quickly as possible. If you think you’ve found an ALHT, seal it in a zip-top bag and give it to your veterinarian for identification.
Habitat modifications can help prevent ticks on feedlots and pastures. This may include mowing grass, removing trees, reducing shade by thinning trees, understory removal and placing mulch barriers.
Apply acaricide using label instructions to tick habitats, such as woodland edges and grassy patches, during times when ticks are most actively seeking hosts. Although it varies by year, ALHTs are generally active from March to November. Consult your state and local regulations for approved acaricides.

“Cattle producers should aggressively control external parasites this summer,” Dewell summarizes. “Insecticide ear tags alone are not enough to control ticks. Consider incorporating a back rubber or regularly applying a pour-on during the summer. Pyrethroid-based products are also available that include a tick control label. If an increase in tick infestations is observed, an avermectin pour-on may be the best intervention.”

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Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Will Not Run for Office in 2024

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 16:20:18 GMT

The House Ag Committee’s chairman seat flipped from Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) to Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa) this term, following Republican’s taking control of the House.

The Senate Ag Committee looks to also have a leadership role change within the next two years, as Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) announced on Thursday she will not pursue re-election in 2024.

“Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate,” she said in a press release .

As the first woman to be elected for Senate in the state of Michigan, Stabenow says her years of “blazing trails and breaking barriers” in her home state are what brought her to the Senate floor in 2001.

But these final two years might prove the most important of all her time in office.

“For the next two years, I am intensely focused on… leading the passage of the next five-year Farm Bill, which determines our nation’s food and agriculture policies. It is also key in protecting our land and water and creating jobs in our rural and urban communities,” Stabenow says.

Upon her exit from office, Stabenow says she will “begin a new chapter” of serving Michiganders outside of elected office, while also spending time with family.

More on policy:

House Speaker Vote Could Extend into Coming Months
Policy and Payments: What Producers Can Expect in 2023

JBS Recalls More Than 43,000 lb. of Beef for Plastic Contamination

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:23:49 GMT

JBS – the world largest beef packer – has recalled more than 43,000 lb. of ground beef after a possible contamination by hard pieces of plastic.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the recall on April 8 after 43,292 lb. of ground beef processed in Plainwell, Mich., at JBS Plainwell, Inc. was found to have extraneous materials contaminating the meat.

The contaminant is believed to be hard pieces of plastic after the packing plant received two complaints that pieces of green, hard plastic were found in the products. On April 5, FSIS was notified by the packing plant.

The ground beef was produced on March 20, 2019, and bears the “EST. 562M” inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed on the bottom of the label.

The ground beef was shipped to Michigan and Wisconsin, with the following products are subject to the recall:

1-lb. plastic wrapped ground beef loaf with “fresh from Meijer GROUND BEEF 80% LEAN 20% FAT” with case code 47283 and sell by date of 4/10/2019 represented on the label.
1-lb. plastic wrapped ground beef loaf with “fresh from Meijer GROUND BEEF 85% LEAN 15% FAT” with case code 47285 and sell by date of 4/10/2019 represented on the label.
1-lb. plastic wrapped ground beef loaf with “fresh from Meijer GROUND BEEF 90% LEAN 10% FAT” with case code 47290 and sell by date of 4/10/2019 represented on the label.
1-lb. plastic wrapped ground beef loaf with “LEAN GROUND BEEF” with case code 42093 and sell by date of 4/10/2019 represented on the label.
1-lb. plastic wrapped ground beef loaf with “CERTIFIED GROUND SIRLOIN” with case code 42090 and sell by date of 4/10/2019 represented on the label.
1-lb. plastic wrapped ground beef loaf with “CERTIFIED GROUND ROUND” with case code 42085 and sell by date of 4/10/2019 represented on the label.
1-lb. plastic wrapped ground beef loaf with “Fresh! BLACK ANGUS GROUND CHUCK” with case code 42283 and sell by date of 4/10/2019 represented on the label.
1-lb. plastic wrapped ground beef loaf with “CERTIFIED GROUND CHUCK” with case code 81631 and sell by date of 4/10/2019 represented on the label.
1-lb. plastic wrapped ground beef loaf with “GROUND BEEF” with case code 81629 and sell by date of 4/10/2019 represented on the label.

No other problems have been reported and there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions from eating the products. However, FSIS is concerned that possibly contaminated ground beef might have been frozen after purchase. It is urged that the products should not be consumed and it should either be thrown out or returned to the place of purchase.

The recall is being categorized as a “Class II” recall by FSIS meaning it poses a health hazard with remote probability of adverse health consequences should the product be consumed.

Other JBS Recalls Recently

During the past year JBS has had several other recalls related to plastic or bacterial contaminants.

On May 2, 2018, a similarly sized recall was put in place by JBS after 35,464 lb. of ground beef was found to contain hard, blue plastic at its Lenoir, North Carolina plant.

Then in October 2018, JBS announced a much larger recall on 6.5 million lb. of beef that was contaminated with Salmonella Newport at its Tolleson, Arizona plant. The salmonella recall was later increased to than 12 million lb. and was determined to have sickened 333 people.

14 Cattle Dead After Vehicle Crashes on Rural Michigan Road

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:18:14 GMT

More than a dozen cattle that escaped overnight from their pens have been struck by vehicles after wandering into a rural road in Clinton County’s Dallas Township, Mich.

The Lansing State Journal reports that 14 cattle were hit by three vehicles about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Clinton County sheriff’s Sgt. Jeff Clarke says nine cattle died from the initial impact with the vehicles. Five others were injured and had to be put down.

One motorist suffered minor injuries.

Sgt. Dan Spitzley tells the newspaper that the cows “weren’t large milking cows” ... “they were what they call feeder cows — in between calves and full-grown cows.”

Deputies on Tuesday were trying to locate other cattle from the same farm. The farm is several miles from where the cows were hit.

Michigan Farmer Pleads in Cruelty Case Involving Donkeys

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 01:59:53 GMT

A Michigan farmer located in the Upper Peninsula has pleaded no contest in an animal cruelty case involving donkeys provided by state officials to protect his cattle from wolves.

WLUC-TV reports John Koski made the plea Thursday.

Officials say that donkeys put in Koski’s care by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to combat wolf conflicts at his Ontonagon-area farm were neglected, causing the deaths of two of the animals.

According to WBUP/WBKP-TV, Koski was ordered to pay $1,800 in fines and costs.

A no-contest plea in Michigan is not an admission of guilt but is treated as one for sentencing purposes.