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 76% of tick tested are infected with at least one disease causing organism, 49% are co-infected with two or more, 19% carry three or more, and 9% of the ticks tested carry four or more.

Infection Visualization by Tick Species

All Ticks Tested

76% Positive for Infection

Negative (24%)

Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)

95% Positive for Infection

Negative (5%)

Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)

63% Positive for Infection

Negative (37%)

Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)

48% Positive for Infection

Negative (52%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (9%)

3+ Coinfection (19%)

2+ Coinfection (49%)

No Co-infection (51%)

Pathogenic Prevalence in Pennsylvania

The bars below show the positive/negative prevalence ratio of selected pathogens we test for. These pathogens were observed in ticks from Pennsylvania. 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 664 ticks.

33% Positive

67% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 34 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size

18% Positive

82% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 105 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 325 ticks.

10% Positive

90% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 298 ticks.

3% Positive

97% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 131 ticks.

53% Positive

47% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 44 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size

0% Positive

100% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 61 ticks.

15% Positive

85% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 66 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 108 ticks.

6% Positive

94% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 32 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size

16% Positive

84% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 80 ticks.

5% Positive

95% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 94 ticks.

4% Positive

96% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 54 ticks.

19% Positive

81% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 42 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size

0% Positive

100% Negative

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