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Our Tick Testing Data

Each tick submitted for testing contributes to the research being conducted here at TickCheck. By keeping records of all the results generated, we have been able to gain valuable insights into disease prevalence and co-infection rates. The comprehensive testing panel has been especially helpful in contributing to this research by ensuring all diseases and coinfections are accounted for when examining a tick. Our current research shows that 43% of tick tested are infected with at least one pathogen, 31% are co-infected with two or more, 8% carry three or more, and 3% of the ticks tested carry four or more.

Infection Visualization by Tick Species

All Ticks Tested
43% Positive for Infection
Negative (57%)
Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)
23% Positive for Infection
Negative (77%)
Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)
16% Positive for Infection
Negative (84%)
Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)
3% Positive for Infection
Negative (97%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (3%)
3+ Coinfection (8%)
2+ Coinfection (31%)
No Co-infection (69%)

Pathogenic Prevalence by Species & Life Stage

Generally, nymphal ticks will have fewer pathogen because they've had fewer opportunities to feed. Our data shows this as well.

Infection Rate for Borrelia burgdorferi between Adult Female and Nymphal Deer Ticks

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 3,536 ticks.
23% Positive
77% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 9,322 ticks.
36% Positive
64% Negative

Infection Rate for Anaplasma phagocytophilum between Adult Female and Nymphal Deer Ticks

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 3,212 ticks.
8% Positive
92% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 8,911 ticks.
10% Positive
90% Negative

Infection Rate for Rickettsia amblyommii between Adult Female and Nymphal Lone Star Ticks

Nymphal Lone Star Ticks

Sample size of 992 ticks.
48% Positive
52% Negative

Adult Female Lone Star Ticks

Sample size of 354 ticks.
51% Positive
49% Negative

Pathogenic Prevalence

The bars below show the positive/negative prevalence ratio of selected pathogens we test for. These pathogens were observed in ticks from the United States and Canada. Data set includes tests performed since TickCheck's founding in 2014 and is updated in real time.

Borrelia burgdorferi (deer tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 14,069 ticks.
31% Positive
69% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (western blacklegged tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,304 ticks.
4% Positive
96% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 5,724 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 4,830 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 18,334 ticks.
6% Positive
94% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 14,259 ticks.
4% Positive
96% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 8,800 ticks.
8% Positive
92% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 10,330 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 4,758 ticks.
28% Positive
72% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 7,092 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 10,290 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 5,368 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 4,477 ticks.
10% Positive
90% Negative

Bartonella henselae associated with cat-scratch fever

Sample size of 803 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 5,217 ticks.
4% Positive
96% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 4,541 ticks.
23% Positive
77% Negative

Powassan virus General associated with Powassan virus General

Sample size of 3,146 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 5,290 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 3,072 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 2,967 ticks.
25% Positive
75% Negative

Babesia duncani associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 3,015 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Rickettsia rickettsii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 8,526 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Ehrlichia muris-like associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 3,016 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Ehrlichia spp. associated with Ehrlichia spp.

Sample size of 1,466 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Anaplasma spp. associated with Anaplasma spp.

Sample size of 1,468 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Babesia odocoilei associated with Babesia odocoilei

Sample size of 797 ticks.
5% Positive
95% Negative

Ehrlichia canis associated with Ehrlichia canis

Sample size of 795 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Panola Mountain Ehrlichia associated with Panola Mountain Ehrlichia

Sample size of 795 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Rickettsia montanensis associated with Rickettsia montanensis

Sample size of 756 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum - Deer Variant associated with non-human anaplasmosis

Sample size of 3,655 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum - Human Active associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 3,655 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage Ⅱ associated with Deer Tick Virus

Sample size of 1,050 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage Ⅰ associated with Powassan virus Lineage Ⅰ

Sample size of 1,050 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Rickettsia parkeri associated with Rickettsia parkeri

Sample size of 795 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative
Pathogen and co-infected tick prevalence data is © TickCheck, and is derived from our tick testing results and laboratory research.