Ticks in Ohio

Ohio is home to a variety of tick species, most commonly the American Dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), the Blacklegged or Deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), the Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum), and more recently, the Asian Longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornus). Ticks can carry a variety of pathogens that cause illness in humans and animals such as Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, and Alpha-gal allergy, among numerous others. With the emergence of the Asian Longhorned tick in Ohio over the past 6 years, there is new concern for diseases like Theileriosis as well. Large infestations of ticks on livestock, even in the absence of pathogenic disease, can lead to loss of production, abortion and stillbirth, and potentially death.

If you find a tick on yourself, household pets, or livestock, you can submit the tick to the OSU Parasite and Pathogen Ecology Lab or the Ohio Department of Health for free species identification. The OSU lab also now offers Buckeye Tick Testing for a fee. To submit a tick for identification, please follow the instructions in the links provided above.

The Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab at ODA offers testing of animal specimens for tick borne pathogens such as Anaplasma spp., Theileria orientalis, Ehrlichia canis, and Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease). Please see the ADDL webpage for the full list of testing options and specimen requirements or call the lab at 614-728-6220 with any submission questions.

If you would like more information on the tick species present in Ohio, how to protect you and your animals from ticks, or the diseases carried by ticks, please see the following webpages:

• Bookmark: Be Tick Smart | Ohio Department of Health
• Tickborne Diseases in Ohio | Ohio Department of Health
• Guide to different tick species and the diseases they carry - Mayo Clinic
• Health risks associated with common tick species – Cornell University

New World Screwworm

New World Screwworm (NWS, Cochliomyia hominivorax) is a devastating pest. When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, and often deadly, damage to the animal. NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds, and in rare cases people. New World Screwworm

NWS is endemic in many Central and South American countries. NWS has been eradicated from the US, but there is a constant risk or re-introduction in the US, especially following the emerging of many cases in Mexico. In May 2025, USDA Secretary Rollins closed the Mexican border to bovine and equine imports to the US through US ports of entry. USDA is closely monitoring the situation and the Secretary has recently announced a plan to combat NWS and its spread. This includes a five-pronged plan which can be found in this USDA press release. 

USDA introduced a phased reopening to the border ports in June, however in the most recent press release on July 9, Secretary Rollins shut down the US Southern Border ports once again due to additional northward spread of NWS in Mexico.

If you or your animals have had recent travel to Mexico, Central/South America and you see suspicious wounds or infestations, reach out to your local veterinarian.

Photo taken from USDA website.