Pennsylvania Game News - October 2018 - 40

Continued from page 39
during 2017. Since then, it has been
identified in wild and domestic animals
in other states, including Virginia, West
Virginia, New York, Arkansas and North
Carolina.
The longhorned tick, during its three
life stages can be found on birds, wild and
domestic mammals and humans.
To date, the tick has been identified
on goats, raccoons, horses, cattle, sheep,
humans, an opossum, deer and dogs.
The longhorned tick can negatively
impact the health of humans and animals,
both directly and indirectly.
Longhorned tick infestations can reach
very high numbers on an animal, which
can result in disease and, in some cases,
death.
The longhorned tick, in its native
range, can carry many pathogens that
may cause diseases in animals or humans.

To date, none of these pathogens have
been identified in longhorned ticks from
North America.
However, testing has been limited.
"The preventive measures currently
used for our native ticks are the best way
to protect yourself and animals from the
longhorned tick," Brown said. "They
include frequent tick checks, prompt and
proper removal of any attached ticks,
avoiding or removing the high grasses or
brush where ticks concentrate, and tick
treatments."
Concerns regarding ticks should be
addressed through consultation with a
physician or veterinarian.
The Game Commission will
continue to conduct active surveillance
for the longhorned tick on wildlife
in collaboration with multiple state
and federal agencies and academic
institutions.

New legislation would help fish and wildlife
The Recovering America's Wildlife Act would strengthen conservation.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission
and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission see the recent introduction
of the Recovering America's Wildlife Act
in the U.S. Senate as legislation that could
provide more care for Pennsylvania's and
the nation's fish and wildlife with the
greatest conservation needs.
The Senate bill complements House
legislation introduced last December,
which has gained strong, bipartisan cosponsorship for its innovative approach to
solving America's ongoing and deepening
wildlife crisis.
Currently, over 80 members have cosponsored the House bill, including six
from Pennsylvania.
Both bills would draw from $1.3 billion
40

in existing revenue from the development
of energy and mineral resources on federal
lands and waters from more than $10
billion in annual revenues from traditional
and renewable energy development and
mineral development on federal lands
and waters.
The main difference between the two
bills is that H.R. 4647 provides mandatory
permanent funding language, while S.B.
3223 requires annual appropriations by
Congress to allocate funding to the states.
All Pennsylvanians are asked to
contact their federal legislators to ask
them to support these bills.
Both would strengthen wildlife
conservation in Pennsylvania and the
United States.
Pennsylvania Game News - October 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - October 2018
