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 65% of tick tested are infected with at least one disease causing organism, 41% 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

65% Positive for Infection

Negative (35%)

Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)

79% Positive for Infection

Negative (21%)

Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)

62% Positive for Infection

Negative (38%)

Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)

39% Positive for Infection

Negative (61%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (5%)

3+ Coinfection (15%)

2+ Coinfection (41%)

No Co-infection (59%)

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 921 ticks.

22% Positive

78% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,617 ticks.

36% Positive

64% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 600 ticks.

10% Positive

90% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,209 ticks.

12% Positive

88% 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 4,046 ticks.

30% Positive

70% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (western blacklegged tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 300 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,378 ticks.

6% Positive

94% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 1,361 ticks.

3% Positive

97% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 3,458 ticks.

9% Positive

91% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 2,687 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 1,678 ticks.

34% Positive

66% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 1,811 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 1,898 ticks.

24% Positive

76% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 1,550 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 1,710 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 1,353 ticks.

12% Positive

88% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 736 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 1,403 ticks.

6% Positive

94% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 783 ticks.

19% Positive

81% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage II associated with Deer tick virus

Sample size of 284 ticks.

10% Positive

90% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 709 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 568 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 462 ticks.

34% Positive

66% Negative

Babesia duncani associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 116 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Rickettsia rickettsii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 241 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Ehrlichia muris-like associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 116 ticks.

12% Positive

88% Negative

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