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 61% of tick tested are infected with at least one disease causing organism, 39% are co-infected with two or more, 14% carry three or more, and 5% of the ticks tested carry four or more.

Infection Visualization by Tick Species

All Ticks Tested

61% Positive for Infection

Negative (39%)

Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)

77% Positive for Infection

Negative (23%)

Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)

62% Positive for Infection

Negative (38%)

Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)

32% Positive for Infection

Negative (68%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (5%)

3+ Coinfection (14%)

2+ Coinfection (39%)

No Co-infection (61%)

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 1,019 ticks.

23% Positive

77% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,628 ticks.

36% Positive

64% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 698 ticks.

10% Positive

90% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,220 ticks.

12% Positive

88% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 228 ticks.

46% Positive

54% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 70 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 4,175 ticks.

30% Positive

70% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (western blacklegged tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 307 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,512 ticks.

6% Positive

94% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,495 ticks.

3% Positive

97% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 3,753 ticks.

8% Positive

92% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 2,831 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 1,829 ticks.

32% Positive

68% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 2,097 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 2,184 ticks.

24% Positive

76% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 1,701 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 1,861 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 1,504 ticks.

11% Positive

89% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 767 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 1,524 ticks.

6% Positive

94% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 814 ticks.

18% Positive

82% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage II associated with Deer tick virus

Sample size of 315 ticks.

10% Positive

90% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 770 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 658 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 552 ticks.

32% Positive

68% Negative

Babesia duncani associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 147 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Rickettsia rickettsii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 331 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Ehrlichia muris-like associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 147 ticks.

11% Positive

89% Negative

Pathogen and co-infected tick prevalence data is © TickCheck, and is derived from our tick testing results and laboratory research.