Notice: We are still operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. Test results may be delayed up to one business day. When mailing your specimen, please avoid certified mail (signature required) and courier services as our building is locked down. United States Postal Service is currently the best choice when mailing your tick. Understand that all mail services are experiencing delays.
  1. Home
  2. TickCheck Data

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 58% of tick tested are infected with at least one disease causing organism, 38% are co-infected with two or more, 12% carry three or more, and 4% of the ticks tested carry four or more.

Infection Visualization by Tick Species

All Ticks Tested
58% Positive for Infection
Negative (42%)
Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)
29% Positive for Infection
Negative (71%)
Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)
19% Positive for Infection
Negative (81%)
Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)
7% Positive for Infection
Negative (93%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (4%)
3+ Coinfection (12%)
2+ Coinfection (38%)
No Co-infection (62%)

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 1,713 ticks.
25% Positive
75% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 3,737 ticks.
38% Positive
62% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,392 ticks.
10% Positive
90% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 3,330 ticks.
13% Positive
87% Negative

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

Nymphal Lone Star Ticks

Sample size of 439 ticks.
49% Positive
51% Negative

Adult Female Lone Star Ticks

Sample size of 135 ticks.
51% Positive
49% Negative

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 1,104 ticks.
33% Positive
67% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 60 ticks.
13% Positive
87% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 203 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 821 ticks.
10% Positive
90% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 738 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 325 ticks.
27% Positive
73% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 169 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 129 ticks.
18% Positive
82% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 122 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 302 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 88 ticks.
6% Positive
94% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 159 ticks.
6% Positive
94% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 208 ticks.
7% Positive
93% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 133 ticks.
25% Positive
75% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage II associated with Deer tick virus

Sample size of 95 ticks.
5% Positive
95% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 201 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 49 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size
0% Positive
100% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 39 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size
21% Positive
79% Negative

Babesia duncani associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 70 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Rickettsia rickettsii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 91 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Ehrlichia muris-like associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 70 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative
Pathogen and co-infected tick prevalence data is © TickCheck, and is derived from our tick testing results and laboratory research.