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 60% of tick tested are infected with at least one disease causing organism, 39% are co-infected with two or more, 15% carry three or more, and 5% of the ticks tested carry four or more.

Infection Visualization by Tick Species

All Ticks Tested

60% Positive for Infection

Negative (40%)

Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)

32% Positive for Infection

Negative (68%)

Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)

18% Positive for Infection

Negative (82%)

Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)

6% Positive for Infection

Negative (94%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (5%)

3+ Coinfection (15%)

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 1,058 ticks.

24% Positive

76% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 2,271 ticks.

37% Positive

63% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 737 ticks.

10% Positive

90% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,863 ticks.

13% Positive

87% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 238 ticks.

46% Positive

54% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 71 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 4,803 ticks.

30% Positive

70% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (western blacklegged tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 342 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,554 ticks.

6% Positive

94% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,498 ticks.

3% Positive

97% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 4,444 ticks.

9% Positive

91% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 3,498 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 2,140 ticks.

31% Positive

69% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 2,148 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 2,235 ticks.

25% Positive

75% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 1,725 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 2,172 ticks.

3% Positive

97% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 1,528 ticks.

11% Positive

89% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 928 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 1,700 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 975 ticks.

22% Positive

78% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage II associated with Deer tick virus

Sample size of 470 ticks.

7% Positive

93% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,066 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 673 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 567 ticks.

32% Positive

68% Negative

Babesia duncani associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 308 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Rickettsia rickettsii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 346 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Ehrlichia muris-like associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 308 ticks.

7% Positive

93% Negative

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