NCBA and USDA To Hold Symposium on Ticks and Associated Diseases Tomorrow!

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will hold a virtual symposium with special focus on the Asian Longhorned Tick.





WHAT:               NCBA and USDA Tick Symposium “Ticks – What Are They? How They Can Affect Your

Livestock, and How to Effectively Manage Them”





WHEN:               Tuesday, August 23 and Wednesday, August 24 from 12:00 pm to 3:45 pm EST





WHERE:             Online (view agenda here)





SPEAKERS:         



• Dr. Kathy Simmons, Chief Veterinarian, NCBA

• Dr. Rosemary Sifford, Chief Veterinary Officer of the United States, USDA

• Dr. Mark Lyons, Assistant Director of the Cattle Health Center, USDA-APHIS

• Steve Hopkins, Cattle Producer, Virginia

• Dr. Matthew Playford, Managing Director, Dawbuts Pty. Ltd.

• Dr. Samantha Beaty, State Veterinarian, Tennessee

• Dr. Nancy Hinkle, Veterinary Entomologist, University of Georgia

• John Picanso, USDA-APHIS

• Dr. Kevin Lahmers, Clinical Associate Professor, Virginia Tech

• Dr. Michael Neault, State Veterinarian & Director of the Livestock Poultry Health Department, Clemson University

• Dr. Brent Credille, Associate Professor, University of Georgia

• Dr. Michael J. Yabsley, Professor of Natural Resources, University of Georgia

• Dr. Lindsay Fry, Research Veterinary Medical Officer, USDA-ARS

• Dr. Kimberly H. Lohmeyer, Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS

• Dr. Dustin Weaver, Deputy State Veterinarian, Georgia

• Denise Bonilla, National Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program Coordinator, USDA-APHIS

• Dr. Carrie Bissett, Program Manager, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

• Dr. Avery Strait, National Cattle Health Epidemiologist, USDA-APHIS



                           

The Asian Longhorned Tick (ALT) is an invasive, exotic tick first identified in the United States in 2017. The ALT is established in many countries in eastern Asia and has been introduced into Australia, New Zealand, and the western Pacific islands. The tick prefers habitats with tall grasses and woods but is highly mobile, attaching to more than 25 known hosts in the U.S., including birds and humans.





This symposium will discuss tick identification and current research at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) as well as special attention to the emerging diseases carried by ticks and their treatment options. A panel of state animal health officials from states currently affected by the ALT will provide information on mitigation measures taking place in their states and answer questions.