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 72% of tick tested are infected with at least one disease causing organism, 45% are co-infected with two or more, 17% carry three or more, and 7% of the ticks tested carry four or more.

Infection Visualization by Tick Species

All Ticks Tested

72% Positive for Infection

Negative (28%)

Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)

86% Positive for Infection

Negative (14%)

Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)

63% Positive for Infection

Negative (37%)

Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)

47% Positive for Infection

Negative (53%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (7%)

3+ Coinfection (17%)

2+ Coinfection (45%)

No Co-infection (55%)

Pathogenic Prevalence in Virginia

The bars below show the positive/negative prevalence ratio of selected pathogens we test for. These pathogens were observed in ticks from Virginia. 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 99 ticks.

23% Positive

77% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 200 ticks.

7% Positive

93% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 41 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size

7% Positive

93% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 99 ticks.

7% Positive

93% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 62 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 42 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size

48% Positive

52% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 141 ticks.

3% Positive

97% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 139 ticks.

37% Positive

63% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 144 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 76 ticks.

3% Positive

97% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 180 ticks.

18% Positive

82% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 75 ticks.

17% Positive

83% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 47 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size

13% Positive

87% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 43 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

59% Positive

41% Negative

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