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 74% of tick tested are infected with at least one disease causing organism, 48% are co-infected with two or more, 18% carry three or more, and 9% of the ticks tested carry four or more.

Infection Visualization by Tick Species

All Ticks Tested

74% Positive for Infection

Negative (26%)

Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)

94% Positive for Infection

Negative (6%)

Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)

62% Positive for Infection

Negative (38%)

Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)

48% Positive for Infection

Negative (52%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (9%)

3+ Coinfection (18%)

2+ Coinfection (48%)

No Co-infection (52%)

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 3,018 ticks.

29% Positive

71% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (western blacklegged tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 205 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 866 ticks.

8% Positive

92% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 896 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 1,785 ticks.

8% Positive

92% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 1,555 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 904 ticks.

47% Positive

53% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 812 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 898 ticks.

20% Positive

80% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 1,006 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 936 ticks.

6% Positive

94% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 809 ticks.

20% Positive

80% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 479 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 855 ticks.

9% Positive

91% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 527 ticks.

16% Positive

84% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 230 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 274 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 167 ticks.

46% Positive

54% Negative

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