News

Tick issues on rise

A central Illinois veterinarian says he’s seeing an increase in tick-related issues.

Dr. Derek McFarland, of Jubilee Hills Veterinary Service in Princeville, says a stretch of relatively mild winters has led to more overwintering by the parasites.

“The amount of bugs, and the amount of ticks in particularly, the past two years are coming out so early.”  He says, “I got people calling me at the end of March, early April, because their dogs are covered in ticks. We’re seeing it more in cattle as well.”

He told a recent roundtable discussion hosted by the National Farmers Union that the number of cases of tick-borne illnesses has increased across the Midwest in recent years.

“They call it Powassan disease, but it’s another tick disease.”  He says, “Right now, Wisconsin has 12 cases, and Minnesota had 14 cases last year. In southeastern Iowa, they basically just had Asian longhorned tick in a herd of 120 cows and 80 of them died. Which is strange because it doesn’t usually cause that much fatality.”

McFarland says cattle producers can take preventive measures to ensure herd health.

“The only thing that you can do is using permethrin-based rubs, pour-ons, or sprays.”  He says, “Using those type of things that can help to try kill ticks or deter them if they bite them. But unfortunately, there isn’t really a silver bullet.”

He says focused management and routine checks are the most efficient way to prevent tick issues in livestock.