Mizzou leads the charge to protect state’s $4 billion cattle industry from tick threats

A tiny parasite-carrying tick is posing an outsized threat to Missouri’s cattle. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri are stepping in to protect the state’s $4 billion cattle industry by tracking how the American dog tick spreads a deadly disease known as bovine anaplasmosis.

Bovine anaplasmosis kills red blood cells, causing lethargy, weight loss and sometimes miscarriage or death in cattle, which can be financially devastating for livestock producers. A 2025 Mizzou study found nearly half of Missouri cattle have been exposed to the disease. Nationwide, the infection has an estimated annual economic impact of nearly $300 million.

For the latest study, Mizzou researchers set out to better understand how the American dog tick may spread the disease to cattle in Missouri. They dragged cloth over cattle pastures in five counties, collecting more than 29,000 ticks, about 1,500 of which were American dog ticks.

Researchers analyzed the ticks’ DNA and discovered fewer than 1 percent of the male American dog ticks carried the bacterium that causes bovine anaplasmosis.

Rosalie Ierardi, an assistant clinical professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and first author of the study, was surprised. How could the bacterium infect so many Missouri cattle yet be found in so few ticks? It could be that the disease spreads in ways scientists have not yet fully mapped.

“Rather than just always waiting in the grass for a new host to walk by, these ticks may be moving directly from cow to cow while the livestock are huddling in the shade or grooming one another,” Ierardi said. “By better understanding where certain ticks are located and how diseases spread, we can inform public health strategies to raise awareness and ultimately keep animals and humans safe from disease.”

“Detection of Anaplasma marginale (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) in host-seeking adult Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) on cattle pastures, Missouri, United States” was published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

Changing Missouri weather fuels tick populations

American dog ticks, blacklegged ticks and lone star ticks are all common in Missouri, and the state’s changing weather patterns are allowing them to thrive.

Warmer winters, earlier springs and periods of high humidity allow ticks to survive in greater numbers, University of Missouri Extension state climatologist Zachary Leasor said.

Historically, Missouri’s cold winters have helped reduce tick populations, but the state’s average winter temperatures have been warmer than average in recent years. Ticks can survive winter by sheltering under leaf litter, crop residue and even snow cover, MU Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff said.

Farmers and others working outdoors can protect themselves by wearing long sleeves, pants and boots. Tuck pants into socks or boots, and wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to spot. Livestock and working dogs should remain on veterinarian-recommended tick prevention to reduce exposure.