We are still operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. When mailing your specimen, please avoid certified mail (signature required) and courier services as our building is locked down. Understand that mail services are experiencing heavy delays during the holidays.
  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 53% of tick tested are infected with at least one pathogen, 37% are co-infected with two or more, 11% carry three or more, and 4% of the ticks tested carry four or more.

Infection Visualization by Tick Species

All Ticks Tested
53% Positive for Infection
Negative (47%)
Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)
28% Positive for Infection
Negative (72%)
Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)
17% Positive for Infection
Negative (83%)
Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)
5% Positive for Infection
Negative (95%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (4%)
3+ Coinfection (11%)
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 1,924 ticks.
24% Positive
76% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 5,087 ticks.
37% Positive
63% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,603 ticks.
9% Positive
91% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 4,680 ticks.
11% Positive
89% Negative

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

Nymphal Lone Star Ticks

Sample size of 498 ticks.
49% Positive
51% Negative

Adult Female Lone Star Ticks

Sample size of 148 ticks.
51% Positive
49% Negative

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 266 ticks.
25% Positive
75% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 588 ticks.
4% Positive
96% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 123 ticks.
7% Positive
93% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 521 ticks.
4% Positive
96% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 230 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 244 ticks.
11% Positive
89% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 612 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 347 ticks.
39% Positive
61% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 399 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 279 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 435 ticks.
8% Positive
92% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 50 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 234 ticks.
9% Positive
91% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 82 ticks.
24% Positive
76% Negative

Powassan virus Lineage II associated with Deer tick virus

Sample size of 42 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size
5% Positive
95% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 87 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 168 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 162 ticks.
48% Positive
52% Negative

Babesia duncani associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 35 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size
0% Positive
100% Negative

Rickettsia rickettsii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 391 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Ehrlichia muris-like associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 35 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.