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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 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 923 ticks.
23% Positive
77% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,618 ticks.
36% Positive
64% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 602 ticks.
10% Positive
90% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,210 ticks.
12% Positive
88% 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 774 ticks.
34% Positive
66% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 40 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size
17% Positive
83% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 136 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 451 ticks.
10% Positive
90% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 408 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 186 ticks.
41% Positive
59% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 81 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 98 ticks.
14% Positive
86% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 82 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 163 ticks.
4% Positive
96% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 48 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size
10% Positive
90% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 100 ticks.
4% Positive
96% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 124 ticks.
3% Positive
97% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 74 ticks.
16% Positive
84% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage II associated with Deer tick virus

Sample size of 37 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size
11% Positive
89% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 87 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.