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 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 104 ticks.

23% Positive

77% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 255 ticks.

7% Positive

93% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 62 ticks.

6% Positive

94% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 145 ticks.

6% Positive

94% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 68 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 65 ticks.

38% Positive

62% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 218 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 216 ticks.

34% Positive

66% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 185 ticks.

1% Positive

99% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 99 ticks.

2% Positive

98% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 221 ticks.

14% Positive

86% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 95 ticks.

16% Positive

84% 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 64 ticks.

0% Positive

100% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 58 ticks.

53% Positive

47% Negative

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