Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is urging livestock producers to strengthen biosecurity and tick control measures following the state’s first confirmed case of Theileria orientalis Ikeda in Van Buren County.
Theileria is carried by the invasive Asian longhorned tick and attacks red and white blood cells, causing bovine infectious anemia. With no approved treatments available in the U.S., prevention is critical. Producers should watch for symptoms such as anemia, jaundice, fever and difficulty breathing, and contact their veterinarian if these signs appear.
Veterinarians are encouraged to include Theileria in their diagnostic evaluations and submit samples to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Iowa State University.
