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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 44% of tick tested are infected with at least one pathogen, 32% are co-infected with two or more, 9% carry three or more, and 3% of the ticks tested carry four or more.

Infection Visualization by Tick Species

All Ticks Tested
44% Positive for Infection
Negative (56%)
Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)
24% Positive for Infection
Negative (76%)
Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)
14% Positive for Infection
Negative (86%)
Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)
3% Positive for Infection
Negative (97%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (3%)
3+ Coinfection (9%)
2+ Coinfection (32%)
No Co-infection (68%)

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 3,141 ticks.
24% Positive
76% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 8,989 ticks.
36% Positive
64% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 2,818 ticks.
8% Positive
92% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 8,578 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 877 ticks.
49% Positive
51% Negative

Adult Female Lone Star Ticks

Sample size of 291 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 13,366 ticks.
31% Positive
69% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (western blacklegged tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,255 ticks.
4% Positive
96% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 5,024 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 4,241 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 17,264 ticks.
6% Positive
94% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 13,189 ticks.
5% Positive
95% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 7,982 ticks.
8% Positive
92% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 8,862 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 4,170 ticks.
28% Positive
72% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 5,624 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 9,220 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 4,925 ticks.
4% Positive
96% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 3,659 ticks.
10% Positive
90% Negative

Bartonella henselae associated with cat-scratch fever

Sample size of 361 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 3,713 ticks.
25% Positive
75% Negative

Powassan virus General associated with Powassan virus General

Sample size of 2,705 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 4,850 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 2,630 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 2,523 ticks.
26% Positive
74% Negative

Babesia duncani associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 2,575 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Rickettsia rickettsii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 7,058 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Ehrlichia muris-like associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 2,575 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Ehrlichia spp. associated with Ehrlichia spp.

Sample size of 646 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Anaplasma spp. associated with Anaplasma spp.

Sample size of 647 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Babesia odocoilei associated with Babesia odocoilei

Sample size of 355 ticks.
6% Positive
94% Negative

Ehrlichia canis associated with Ehrlichia canis

Sample size of 353 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Panola Mountain Ehrlichia associated with Panola Mountain Ehrlichia

Sample size of 353 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Rickettsia montanensis associated with Rickettsia montanensis

Sample size of 313 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum - Deer Variant associated with non-human anaplasmosis

Sample size of 2,587 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum - Human Active associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 2,587 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage Ⅱ associated with Deer Tick Virus

Sample size of 608 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage Ⅰ associated with Powassan virus Lineage Ⅰ

Sample size of 608 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Rickettsia parkeri associated with Rickettsia parkeri

Sample size of 352 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.