A Cattle Disease and the Tick Carrying It Are Confirmed in Iowa for the First Time

Jun 19, 2025

By Rachel Cramer

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said the state’s first case of Theileria orientalis Ikeda was confirmed in a cattle herd in Van Buren County in the southeast corner of the state.

The protozoan parasite infects the red and white blood cells of cattle, causing anemia and sometimes death. It’s carried by the Asian longhorned tick, which has spread to over 20 states since it was first detected in New Jersey in 2017. Iowa and Michigan are the latest to join the growing list.

“We haven’t had this parasite in Iowa before, that we know of, and we haven't had the tick before, and so we've got some pretty susceptible cattle right now,” said Grant Dewell, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach beef veterinarian and associate professor.

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Video: Seaweed-Based Solutions: Building Natural Performance in Modern Swine Production

In today’s pork industry, producers are under increasing pressure to do more with fewer inputs—while maintaining performance, improving animal health, and meeting sustainability expectations.

we sit down with Sylvain David and Scott Preston from Olmix to explore how seaweed-based solutions are emerging as a foundational tool in modern swine nutrition.

Rather than acting as simple alternatives, these solutions are designed to support gut health, immune resilience, and overall system consistency—especially during key stress periods like weaning, feed transitions, and disease challenges.

The conversation dives into:

• What seaweed-based solutions actually are and how they work

• Why consistency and standardization matter in “natural” products

• How gut health connects to immune function and performance

• Where producers are seeing real-world impact today

• The role of natural solutions in the future of sustainable pork production