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 62% 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

62% Positive for Infection

Negative (38%)

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 985 ticks.

23% Positive

77% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,625 ticks.

36% Positive

64% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 664 ticks.

10% Positive

90% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,217 ticks.

12% Positive

88% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 206 ticks.

45% Positive

55% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 68 ticks.

50% Positive

50% 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 4,127 ticks.

30% Positive

70% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (western blacklegged tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 302 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,439 ticks.

6% Positive

94% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,473 ticks.

3% Positive

97% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 3,641 ticks.

8% Positive

92% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 2,774 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 1,781 ticks.

33% Positive

67% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 1,992 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 2,079 ticks.

24% Positive

76% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 1,646 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 1,813 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 1,449 ticks.

11% Positive

89% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 760 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 1,492 ticks.

6% Positive

94% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 807 ticks.

19% Positive

81% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage II associated with Deer tick virus

Sample size of 306 ticks.

10% Positive

90% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 747 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 633 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 527 ticks.

31% Positive

69% Negative

Babesia duncani associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 140 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Rickettsia rickettsii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 306 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Ehrlichia muris-like associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 140 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.