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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 44% 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
44% Positive for Infection
Negative (56%)
24% Positive for Infection
Negative (76%)
14% Positive for Infection
Negative (86%)
3% Positive for Infection
Negative (97%)
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 3,141 ticks.
24% Positive
76% Negative
Adult Female Deer Ticks
Sample size of 8,989 ticks.
36% Positive
64% Negative
Infection Rate for Anaplasma phagocytophilum between Adult Female and Nymphal Deer Ticks
Nymphal Deer Ticks
Sample size of 2,818 ticks.
Adult Female Deer Ticks
Sample size of 8,578 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 877 ticks.
49% Positive
51% Negative
Adult Female Lone Star Ticks
Sample size of 291 ticks.
51% Positive
49% Negative
Pathogenic Prevalence in Illinois
The bars below show the positive/negative prevalence ratio of selected pathogens we test for.
These pathogens were observed in ticks from Illinois.
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 227 ticks.
22% Positive
78% Negative
Borrelia burgdorferi
(lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease
Sample size of 68 ticks.
Borrelia burgdorferi
(American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease
Sample size of 237 ticks.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
associated with anaplasmosis
Sample size of 358 ticks.
Babesia microti
associated with babesiosis
Sample size of 225 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative
Bartonella spp.
associated with bartonellosis
Sample size of 168 ticks.
Ehrlichia chaffeensis
associated with ehrlichiosis
Sample size of 297 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative
Rickettsia spp.
associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Sample size of 125 ticks.
17% Positive
83% Negative
Francisella tularensis
associated with tularemia
Sample size of 171 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative
Borrelia miyamotoi
associated with B. miyamotoi
Sample size of 185 ticks.
Borrelia lonestari
associated with STARI
Sample size of 137 ticks.
Babesia spp.
associated with babesiosis
Sample size of 76 ticks.
Mycoplasma spp.
associated with Mycoplasma spp.
Sample size of 110 ticks.
Borrelia spp.
associated with Borrelia spp.
Sample size of 81 ticks.
22% Positive
78% Negative
Powassan virus General
associated with Powassan virus General
Sample size of 45 ticks.
Warning: Low Sample Size
Borrelia mayonii
associated with Lyme disease
Sample size of 81 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative
Ehrlichia ewingii
associated with ehrlichiosis
Sample size of 74 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative
Rickettsia amblyommii
associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Sample size of 74 ticks.
16% Positive
84% Negative
Babesia duncani
associated with babesiosis
Sample size of 49 ticks.
Warning: Low Sample Size
0% Positive
100% Negative
Rickettsia rickettsii
associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Sample size of 257 ticks.
Ehrlichia muris-like
associated with ehrlichiosis
Sample size of 49 ticks.
Warning: Low Sample Size
0% Positive
100% Negative
Ehrlichia spp.
associated with Ehrlichia spp.
Sample size of 31 ticks.
Warning: Low Sample Size
0% Positive
100% Negative
Anaplasma spp.
associated with Anaplasma spp.
Sample size of 31 ticks.
Warning: Low Sample Size
0% Positive
100% Negative
Anaplasma phagocytophilum - Deer Variant
associated with non-human anaplasmosis
Sample size of 75 ticks.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum - Human Active
associated with anaplasmosis
Sample size of 75 ticks.
Pathogen and co-infected tick prevalence data is © TickCheck, and is derived from our tick testing results and laboratory research.