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 45% 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

45% Positive for Infection

Negative (55%)

Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)

25% Positive for Infection

Negative (75%)

Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)

14% Positive for Infection

Negative (86%)

Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)

4% Positive for Infection

Negative (96%)

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 3,094 ticks.

24% Positive

76% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 8,064 ticks.

36% Positive

64% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 2,771 ticks.

8% Positive

92% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 7,653 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 820 ticks.

48% Positive

52% Negative

Adult Female Lone Star Ticks

Sample size of 264 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 12,412 ticks.

31% Positive

69% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (western blacklegged tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,062 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 4,608 ticks.

3% Positive

97% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 3,989 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 15,839 ticks.

7% Positive

93% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 11,862 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 7,258 ticks.

9% Positive

91% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 7,982 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 3,841 ticks.

27% Positive

73% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 4,758 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 7,884 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 4,558 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 2,938 ticks.

9% Positive

91% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 5,166 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 2,984 ticks.

28% Positive

72% Negative

Powassan virus General associated with Powassan virus General

Sample size of 2,323 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 4,454 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 2,269 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 2,163 ticks.

27% Positive

73% Negative

Babesia duncani associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 2,179 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Rickettsia rickettsii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 6,178 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Ehrlichia muris-like associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 2,179 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum - Deer Variant associated with non-human anaplasmosis

Sample size of 1,168 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum - Human Active associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 1,168 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage Ⅱ associated with Deer Tick Virus

Sample size of 226 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage Ⅰ associated with Powassan virus Lineage Ⅰ

Sample size of 226 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.