ORONO, Maine — An invasive Asian longhorned tick has been identified in Maine for the first time, state officials and University of Maine researchers announced Tuesday.

The tick, collected in Cumberland County and submitted to UMaine Cooperative Extension’s passive tick surveillance program, was confirmed by staff at the UMaine Extension Tick Lab, the university said in a press release. Follow-up field surveys in the surrounding area did not detect any additional specimens, according to the release.

“This discovery underscores the critical importance of continued tick surveillance in Maine,” Griffin Dill, director of the UMaine Extension Tick Lab, said. “While this appears to be an isolated case, we are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with state and federal partners. Ea

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