Disease-carrying tick that kills up to 15% of people bitten is rising across the US - see if your state is at risk

A tick species native to Asia is spreading across the US, with Oklahoma reporting its first sighting this week.

The Sooner State is the 20th to confirm the presence of the Asian longhorned tick that can transmit deadly human and livestock diseases with its bites.

The species carries a virus that kills 15 percent of its victims in Asia, but only cow deaths have been reported in the US since the tick arrived in 2017.

The US Department of Environmental Protection has found that the parasitic arachnids in America carry Lyme disease, a life-threatening bacteria  and a virus that causes inflammation in the brain.

 Oklahoma officials announced the first Asian longhorned tick sighting in Mayes County on Monday.

Though this is the very first Asian longhorned tick reported in Oklahoma, it's likely that more are coming, officials with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture said.

This species can reproduce parthenogenetically, meaning that one female can produce thousands of offspring without a male.

So, only one tick is needed to establish a booming population in a new area. 

The first longhorned tick in the US was found seven years ago in New Jersey, but has since invaded parts of New York, Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia and other states..

The Asian longhorned tick is native to eastern China, Japan, the Russian Far East and Korea. 

Experts aren't exactly sure how it made its way to the US, but possible routes of entry include the import of domestic pets, horses or livestock, or people unknowingly carrying the tick back to the US after traveling abroad.

Dina M. Fonseca, a professor and director of the Center for Vector Biology in the Department of Entomology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, said: 'One thing we uncovered is the ease with which pets, especially dogs, can accidentally help ticks cross international borders and state lines.' 

So far, no humans have died from an Asian longhorned tick bite in the US. 

But these tiny vectors of disease did kill several cattle in Ohio in 2023. 

Now that the ticks have spread to Oklahoma, state officials are urging livestock owners to closely monitor their animals.

But even through they primarily effect livestock, Asian longhorned ticks do have the potential to amplify tick-borne diseases by spreading pathogens to other ticks that more commonly pose threats to humans, according to Cornell University. 

In Oklahoma and other eastern states where the Asian longhorned is present, officials encourage people to report bites or sightings of these ticks. 

Their preferred habitats are pastures and meadows. Be sure to check yourself for ticks after walking through these areas, especially during the warm summer months.

Experts also recommend protecting pets and livestock from tick bites by treating them regularly with anti-tick medication, which should be effective against the Asian longhorned.

If you find an Asian longhorned tick attached to yourself or your pet, remove it immediately. 

You can do so by grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible with fine-tipped tweezers or your fingers. If you're using your fingers, use a tissue, a foil-covered gum wrapper or a plastic sandwich bag as a protective barrier.

Once you grasp the tick, pull upwards with steady even pressure. Do not twist the tick as you pull.

After you remove it, wash the affected area with soap and water and disinfect the bite with a topical antiseptic. 

Whatever you do, don't throw away the tick! Put it in a plastic ziplock back and seal it closed. That way you can take it to you doctor or veterinarian for identification.