You have just found an attached tick, removed it carefully, and now it is sitting in a plastic bag on your kitchen counter. The question most people ask next is: should I send this in for testing?
The answer is not a simple yes or no. Tick testing can provide useful information, but it also has real limitations that are important to understand before you decide. This guide explains what tick testing can and cannot tell you, what the CDC recommends, and where to go if you decide to proceed.
What Tick Testing Can Tell You
Commercial tick testing uses DNA and RNA-based laboratory analysis to detect the presence of pathogens inside the tick itself. A positive result means the tick was carrying a specific pathogen. Depending on the laboratory and the testing package you choose, a single tick can be screened for anywhere from 7 to 25 different disease-causing organisms, including:
- Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
- Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Anaplasmosis)
- Babesia microti (Babesiosis)
- Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever)
- Powassan virus
- Ehrlichia species
- Borrelia miyamotoi (a relapsing fever spirochete)
A negative result means the tested tick was not carrying those pathogens. It does not mean you were not exposed to disease, because you may have been bitten by other ticks you did not notice.
What Tick Testing Cannot Tell You
This is the critical point that many people overlook. A positive tick test is not a diagnosis of human infection. It tells you the tick was infected. It does not tell you whether the pathogen was actually transmitted to you.
Several factors determine whether transmission occurs:
- Attachment time: For Lyme disease, the tick generally needs to be attached for 36 to 48 hours before Borrelia burgdorferi is transmitted. If you found and removed the tick quickly, the risk may be low even if the tick tested positive.
- Feeding stage: Nymphs transmit disease more readily than adults in some species.
- Individual variation: Not every bite from an infected tick results in infection.
The CDC explicitly states that it does not recommend using tick test results to make decisions about antibiotic treatment. Clinical decisions should be based on symptoms, the circumstances of the bite, and the judgment of a physician, not on the tick test alone.
Additionally, tick testing laboratories are not required to meet the same quality standards as clinical diagnostic laboratories used by hospitals and physicians. Results can vary in reliability between providers.
When Tick Testing May Still Be Useful
Peace of mind in high-risk areas. If you were bitten in a region with high rates of tick-borne disease and are anxious about the exposure, knowing the tick was negative for major pathogens may reduce unnecessary worry while you monitor for symptoms.
Informing your physician. A positive tick test result, while not diagnostic, gives your doctor additional context when evaluating your symptoms. It can prompt earlier consideration of treatment, particularly for diseases like Anaplasmosis and RMSF where early antibiotic therapy is critical.
Identifying the species. Many tick testing services also identify the species of tick submitted. Knowing you were bitten by a blacklegged tick versus an American dog tick significantly changes the disease risk profile.
Surveillance and research. Tick testing services contribute anonymized data to public health surveillance systems, helping researchers track pathogen prevalence by region and season.
How to Store a Tick for Testing
If you remove a tick and want to preserve it for testing, follow these steps:
- Do not crush or squeeze the tick during removal.
- Place the tick in a sealed plastic zip-lock bag or a small sealed container.
- If the tick is alive, place a small piece of damp paper towel or cotton in the bag to maintain humidity.
- If the tick is dead, no moisture is needed.
- Do not store the tick in alcohol or water, as this can degrade the DNA and RNA that laboratories need to detect pathogens.
- Note the date of the bite, the location on your body where it was attached, and the geographic location where you likely encountered the tick.
Ticks can be stored for weeks or even months under these conditions and still be successfully tested.
Reputable Tick Testing Laboratories
The following laboratories offer mail-in tick testing services. Contact them directly for current pricing, turnaround times, and the specific pathogens included in each testing package.
Many state and county health departments also offer free or low-cost tick identification and testing. Search for your county name plus “tick testing” or “vector control” to find local options.
The Bottom Line
Tick testing is a tool, not a diagnosis. It can provide useful information and peace of mind, but it should never replace clinical evaluation if you develop symptoms after a tick bite. The most important steps after any tick bite are:
- Remove the tick promptly and correctly using fine-tipped tweezers.
- Record the date, bite location on your body, and where you were when bitten.
- Monitor yourself for symptoms over the next 30 days, including fever, fatigue, rash, headache, muscle aches, and joint pain.
- Contact a physician immediately if any symptoms develop. Do not wait for a tick test result before seeking care.
Tick-borne diseases are treatable, especially when caught early. Prompt attention to symptoms will always matter more than any laboratory result from the tick itself.
References
[1] CDC: Tick Bite Fact Sheet
[2] Bay Area Lyme Foundation: Tick Testing
[3] TickReport, University of Massachusetts Amherst
[4] CDC: Lyme Disease Diagnosis and Testing
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