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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 53% of tick tested are infected with at least one pathogen, 36% are co-infected with two or more, 11% carry three or more, and 3% of the ticks tested carry four or more.
Infection Visualization by Tick Species
All Ticks Tested
53% Positive for Infection
Negative (47%)
28% Positive for Infection
Negative (72%)
17% Positive for Infection
Negative (83%)
5% Positive for Infection
Negative (95%)
Coinfection Visualization
4+ Coinfection (3%)
3+ Coinfection (11%)
2+ Coinfection (36%)
No Co-infection (64%)
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 1,924 ticks.
24% Positive
76% Negative
Adult Female Deer Ticks
Sample size of 5,139 ticks.
37% Positive
63% Negative
Infection Rate for Anaplasma phagocytophilum between Adult Female and Nymphal Deer Ticks
Nymphal Deer Ticks
Sample size of 1,603 ticks.
Adult Female Deer Ticks
Sample size of 4,732 ticks.
11% Positive
89% Negative
Infection Rate for Rickettsia amblyommii between Adult Female and Nymphal Lone Star Ticks
Nymphal Lone Star Ticks
Sample size of 499 ticks.
49% Positive
51% Negative
Adult Female Lone Star Ticks
Sample size of 149 ticks.
52% Positive
48% Negative
Pathogenic Prevalence in North Carolina
The bars below show the positive/negative prevalence ratio of selected pathogens we test for.
These pathogens were observed in ticks from North Carolina.
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 91 ticks.
19% Positive
81% Negative
Borrelia burgdorferi
(lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease
Sample size of 93 ticks.
Borrelia burgdorferi
(American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease
Sample size of 66 ticks.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
associated with anaplasmosis
Sample size of 150 ticks.
Babesia microti
associated with babesiosis
Sample size of 87 ticks.
Bartonella spp.
associated with bartonellosis
Sample size of 71 ticks.
Ehrlichia chaffeensis
associated with ehrlichiosis
Sample size of 143 ticks.
Rickettsia spp.
associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Sample size of 80 ticks.
32% Positive
68% Negative
Francisella tularensis
associated with tularemia
Sample size of 84 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative
Borrelia miyamotoi
associated with B. miyamotoi
Sample size of 78 ticks.
Borrelia lonestari
associated with STARI
Sample size of 78 ticks.
Mycoplasma spp.
associated with Mycoplasma spp.
Sample size of 61 ticks.
Borrelia spp.
associated with Borrelia spp.
Sample size of 32 ticks.
Warning: Low Sample Size
22% Positive
78% Negative
Borrelia mayonii
associated with Lyme disease
Sample size of 39 ticks.
Warning: Low Sample Size
0% Positive
100% Negative
Ehrlichia ewingii
associated with ehrlichiosis
Sample size of 39 ticks.
Warning: Low Sample Size
0% Positive
100% Negative
Rickettsia amblyommii
associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Sample size of 37 ticks.
Warning: Low Sample Size
38% Positive
62% Negative
Rickettsia rickettsii
associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Sample size of 88 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.