The latest and greatest about ticks

Richard Gerhold, DVM, MS, PhD, Fetch dvm360 conference speaker and parasite expert, says there is much to be concerned about with respect to ticks. Chief among them is the continued presence of the Asian longhorned tick. As if their arrival wasn't enough (they were first noted in 2012), they can reproduce parthenogenetically: That's right-no male needed.

Dr. Gerhold mentions that this can lead to great numbers but says the implications for animal and human health are not yet apparent.

"We haven't recognized a disease that they transmit at this point, but that's not saying they couldn't transmit a disease," he says.

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Elsewhere, Dr. Gerhold says you need to keep an eye out for Ixodes scapularis (moving south) and Amblyomma americanum (moving north) and all the diseases they transmit.

"It's another good reason to make sure all the pets are on their monthly tick preventitives and that veterinarians are doing tick disease testing," he says.

Watch the video for more.

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