Invasive ticks found in Butler County pose a threat to pets, humans and livestock

Well, tonight is a warning to pet owners. A new potentially dangerous tick species has been discovered in Ohio. Exactly the first time. Here's something scary. Local veterinarians say this is a finding that could affect not only pets but also livestock. WLWT NEWS FIVE's Karen Johnson lives in Butler County with more people. Hello Karen. Folks, it's called the longhorn tick. Native to East Asia, it was first discovered on the East Coast of the United States in 2017. And now we have confirmed cases here in Butler County. on this beautiful autumn day. Be patient and wait for her walk. Her owner says hiking and walking are part of her weekly routine. I hike once a week and then walk a mile every other day. But that simple walk, and what might be crawling nearby, is now top of mind for veterinary internist Chantelle Ragout. After an unusual discovery in Butler County. I specialize in infectious diseases, so I often look at mites under a microscope to confirm. So every time I saw it, I realized it was different than what I was used to seeing. This is an actual tick found on a dog brought to a veterinary clinic from the Hamilton area last month. When viewed under a microscope, the mouth parts and backs of the mites stood out to Dr. Raghu. I looked at it and thought this is really weird. After doing a little research, I believe this is a long tick. USDA testing confirmed it was a longhorn beetle, a species known to reproduce without mating. This means that one tick can lead to thousands of more ticks. Therefore, it must be assumed that it is throughout the area. It's just that it hasn't been found yet. Within 24 hours of being bitten, long-eared mites can transmit diseases such as rocky spotted fever to pets, livestock, and even humans. Raghu says prevention is key no matter the season. The most important thing is to make sure your dog is on tick prevention year-round. Because we remove ticks from pets even in the dead of winter. Nala's owner says that when she comes home from a walk, she always takes another step. A quick check for ticks. Yes, I always check on her after my hike. And Dr. Raghu says there's still a lot we don't know about this tick, but she's talked to experts in Ohio who say, you know, this can have devastating effects on cattle. So, she says, farmers should also take note. Live report from the battle

Invasive ticks found in Butler County pose a threat to pets, humans and livestock

Updated: October 13, 2025 7:59 PM EDT

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Longhorn beetles, which are native to East Asia, have been discovered for the first time in Butler County, Ohio, raising concerns for pets, livestock and humans. Dr Chantel Raghu, a veterinary internist at Oxford Veterinary Hospital, confirmed the ticks were present in a dog brought in from the Hamilton area last month. “I specialize in infectious diseases, so I always tend to look at ticks under the microscope to see what type of thing it is. So every time I see it, I realize it's different than what I'm used to seeing,” Dr. Raghu said. Mouthparts “When I saw it, I thought this looked really strange. I did a little research and thought it was a longhorn beetle,” Raghu said. The identity of this mite was confirmed by the USDA inspection. Longhorn beetles are known to reproduce without mating, meaning one tick can spawn thousands of more ticks. “So we have to assume that they are present throughout the region, but we just haven't found them yet,” Raghu said. Longhorn beetles can transmit diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever to pets, livestock, and even humans within 24 hours of their bite. Raghu emphasized the importance of year-round tick prevention for pets, saying, “The most important thing is to make sure your dog is on tick prevention all year round, because we are removing ticks from pets even in the middle of winter.” Raghu noted that there is still much to learn about longhorn beetles, but experts at Ohio State University warned that the mites can have devastating effects on cattle and urged farmers to remain vigilant. The Ohio Department of Health said other longhorn beetles have been found in eastern Butler County, Ross and Pike counties, but this is the first confirmed case in southwestern Ohio.

Butler County, Ohio —

Longhorn beetles, which are native to East Asia, have been discovered for the first time in Butler County, Ohio, raising concerns for pets, livestock and humans.

Dr Chantelle Raghu, a veterinary internist at Oxford Veterinary Hospital, confirmed that a dog brought in from the Hamilton area last month had ticks on it.

“I specialize in infectious diseases, so I always tend to look at ticks under the microscope to see what species it is. So every time I looked at it, I realized it was different from what I'm used to seeing,” Raghu said.

After examining the tick's mouthparts and back under a microscope, Raghu suspected it was a longhorn beetle.

“When I saw it, I thought this was really strange. I did a little research and thought it was a long-tailed tick,” she said.

USDA testing confirmed the identity of this mite. Longhorn beetles are known to reproduce without mating, and one mite can spawn thousands of more mites.

“So we have to assume it's all over the area. We just haven't found it yet,” Raghu said.

Longhorn beetles can transmit diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, to pets, livestock, and even people within 24 hours of being bitten. Raghu emphasized the importance of year-round tick prevention for pets.

“The most important thing is to make sure your dog is on tick prevention year-round, because we remove ticks from pets even in the dead of winter,” she said.

Raghu noted that there is still much to learn about longhorn beetles, but experts at Ohio State University warned that the mites can have devastating effects on cattle and urged farmers to remain vigilant. The Ohio Department of Health said other longhorn beetles have been found in eastern Butler County, Ross and Pike counties, but this is the first confirmed case in southwestern Ohio.

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