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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 58% of tick tested are infected with at least one disease causing organism, 38% 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
58% Positive for Infection
Negative (42%)
Ixodes scapularis (deer tick)
29% Positive for Infection
Negative (71%)
Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)
19% Positive for Infection
Negative (81%)
Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)
7% Positive for Infection
Negative (93%)

Coinfection Visualization

4+ Coinfection (4%)
3+ Coinfection (12%)
2+ Coinfection (38%)
No Co-infection (62%)

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 1,713 ticks.
25% Positive
75% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 3,737 ticks.
38% Positive
62% Negative

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

Nymphal Deer Ticks

Sample size of 1,392 ticks.
10% Positive
90% Negative

Adult Female Deer Ticks

Sample size of 3,330 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 439 ticks.
49% Positive
51% Negative

Adult Female Lone Star Ticks

Sample size of 135 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 192 ticks.
24% Positive
76% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (lone star tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 525 ticks.
5% Positive
95% Negative

Borrelia burgdorferi (American dog tick) associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 97 ticks.
9% Positive
91% Negative

Anaplasma phagocytophilum associated with anaplasmosis

Sample size of 392 ticks.
5% Positive
95% Negative

Babesia microti associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 156 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Bartonella spp. associated with bartonellosis

Sample size of 185 ticks.
15% Positive
85% Negative

Ehrlichia chaffeensis associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 523 ticks.
2% Positive
98% Negative

Rickettsia spp. associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 322 ticks.
39% Positive
61% Negative

Francisella tularensis associated with tularemia

Sample size of 344 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Borrelia miyamotoi associated with B. miyamotoi

Sample size of 219 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Borrelia lonestari associated with STARI

Sample size of 380 ticks.
9% Positive
91% Negative

Babesia spp. associated with babesiosis

Sample size of 32 ticks. Warning: Low Sample Size
3% Positive
97% Negative

Mycoplasma spp. associated with Mycoplasma spp.

Sample size of 191 ticks.
11% Positive
89% Negative

Borrelia spp. associated with Borrelia spp.

Sample size of 64 ticks.
23% Positive
77% Negative

Borrelia mayonii associated with Lyme disease

Sample size of 53 ticks.
0% Positive
100% Negative

Ehrlichia ewingii associated with ehrlichiosis

Sample size of 143 ticks.
1% Positive
99% Negative

Rickettsia amblyommii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 137 ticks.
49% Positive
51% Negative

Rickettsia rickettsii associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Sample size of 302 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.