Tick Testing

Ticks can spread pathogens (like bacteria, viruses, and other parasites) that can cause disease in humans through an infected bite. The signs and symptoms of a lot of tick-borne diseases are similar and often generic, including fever, chills, and aches.

The ticks that are collected through our surveillance program are identified to species in our office’s lab. The ticks of public health and medical importance (primarily Ixodes scapularis, the blacklegged/deer tick) are submitted to the New Jersey Public Health and Environmental Lab for disease testing. Blacklegged/deer ticks are tested for the pathogens that cause the following:

• Anaplasmosis
• Babesiosis 
• Hard Tick Relapsing Fever
• Lyme Disease
• Powassan virus

   

 Adult female blacklegged/deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) are a high priority for disease testing.

After ticks are identified, they are sent to the New Jersey Public Health and Environmental Lab for disease testing.