The Asian Longhorned Tick continues to be a nuisance to cattle farmers in the Shenandoah Valley and with the initial infection leading to pregnancy loss, calf loss and cow losses.
John Benner, an Augusta County extension agent, said there are numerous confirmed cases of the ALT and Theileria in beef cattle herds in Augusta, Rockbridge and Rockingham counties.
“I would concur that the tick is definitely in the Shenandoah Valley region,” he said. “In most instances, the greatest losses occur when the pathogen is first introduced into a herd.”
Virginia Tech veterinarian Kevin Lahmers said in an interview with WVTF that the ALT prefers higher elevations along the I-81 corridor.
“The tick if fairly promiscuous. It will feed on lots of different things – wildlife, livestock, but it seems to particularly love cows,” Lahmers told WVTF.
In the majority of cases, Benner said, once Theileria is present and a herd tests positive, after the initial clinical incidence of disease, “there does not seem to be further cases in future season and future years.”
When cattle develop Theileriosis, signs may include anemia, fever, jaundice, difficulty breathing and lethargy.
Benner said the disease is not fully understood since it is relatively new, and therefore, there isn’t enough data to provide a full analysis.
Lahmers agreed and told WVTF radio that it is unknown if people could potentially contract a virus from the tick.
“We’re still investigating what they can and cannot transmit,” Lahmers said. “We have found some viral pathogens in those ticks, which is of concern. They’re originally from the Pacific Rim, and in those areas they transmit a virus that has a fairly high mortality rate – not a high frequency, but a high mortality rate – so there is some concern that if that virus made it into the U.S., that could be threat to the human population.”
What experts know for now, it seems, is that livestock, after the initial infection, does not see large clinical signs of disease or additional animal losses.
“It is thought that clinical signs of the disease can be related to stress, such as calving, heat stress or nutritional stress,” Benner said.
Cattle producers with questions about the risk for Theileria should consult their veterinarian.
“Their veterinarian can advise them regarding an insect and tick control program and what risk level their herd may have to the disease,” Benner said.
Virginia Tech and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services are conducting a surveillance program of sale and replacement cows at various stockyards and are noticing an increase in the prevalence of Theileria in submitted samples.
Theileria has been recently approved for a payable loss through the USDA Livestock Indemnity Program. This program is administered by the USDA-Farm Service Agency, Benner said.
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Crystal Graham
