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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 55% of tick tested are infected with at least one pathogen, 37% 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
55% Positive for Infection
Negative (45%)
Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)
27% Positive for Infection
Negative (73%)
Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)
19% Positive for Infection
Negative (81%)
Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)
6% Positive for Infection
Negative (94%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (4%)
3+ Coinfection (12%)
2+ Coinfection (37%)
No Co-infection (63%)

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 1,886 ticks.
24% Positive
76% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 3,752 ticks.
38% Positive
62% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,565 ticks.
9% Positive
91% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 3,345 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 489 ticks.
50% Positive
50% Negative

Adult Female Lone Star Ticks

Sample size of 146 ticks.
51% Positive
49% Negative

Pathogenic Prevalence in Rhode Island

The bars below show the positive/negative prevalence ratio of selected pathogens we test for. These pathogens were observed in ticks from Rhode Island. 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 105 ticks.
30% Positive
70% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 85 ticks.
7% Positive
93% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 77 ticks.
5% Positive
95% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 29 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size
17% Positive
83% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 29 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.