HUNTERDON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY — U.S. health officials last month reported an infestation of Asian ticks on a New Jersey sheep.
Samples from the 12-year-old Icelandic sheep were provided to the Hunterdon County Health Department in August, 2017. The animal's owner, reports NPR, found ticks on her arms during a shearing session.
Officials believed them to be deer ticks initially, but further analysis determined they were Asian ticks. They collected over 1,000 from the sheep's paddock and hundreds from the animal itself, according to NPR.
The animal and property were treated with chemicals. A follow-up visit by county workers found no remaining ticks.
Details of the infestation were published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
