A hotly debated topic among experts is whether you should get the tick tested by a lab to see which diseases it carries.
Some experts, including those at the CDC, do not recommend tick testing. A highly sensitive PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test is performed on the tick. If the PCR test detects a small amount of bacteria sufficient to trigger a positive result, it doesn’t mean the tick was feeding long or had enough bacteria to infect you. Such a result could cause undue worry.
“There is a pretty high chance of a false positive and no real oversight in the labs,” Kaitlin McDonald, a PhD student in the Ecology, Evolution, Environment, and Society program in the Department of Biological Sciences at Dartmouth College, said in an email interview.
Only about a quarter of nymphal-stage ticks (the ones most likely to transmit Lyme disease) are infected, and they need to feed for 48 hours or longer to transmit the infection. Most people who recognize a tick bite remove it in less than 48 hours.
But other experts say that identifying and testing ticks is beneficial. The TickSpotters program, led by Mather, can help determine the type of tick and give you a risk assessment, if you send in a clear picture. “If the tick is a risky tick, attached long enough to transmit any germ they might be carrying, then we suggest that people might want to have the tick tested … and to have more information to pass along to their primary care or veterinary care provider,” Mather said.
Knowing which diseases your tick was carrying will help you zero in on medical care before symptoms start. Up to 5% of nymphal ticks carry a co-infection, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and some of the symptoms are similar. Anaplasmosis, for example, is an emerging and dangerous infection spread by black-legged and western black-legged ticks, and it has symptoms similar to those of Lyme disease. Doxycycline is effective against many tick-borne illnesses, but you may need to go on a different antibiotic if you have the parasite babesia or the rare but increasing Powassan virus.
If you do opt to get a tick tested, Mather recommends several companies that perform the service for less than $100, including Ticknology, TickCheck, TickReport, and Eco Laboratory (the latter two are “prevention partners” with Mather’s free TickSpotters program). Your state’s health department may also have a tick-testing lab. For instance, Connecticut, where Lyme disease was first identified, has a free program for its residents.
As the co-authors of this story, we have both experienced the exhaustion of Lyme disease, plus the no-picnic treatment of the three- to four-week doxycycline antibiotic cycle (which comes with a host of potential side effects). We think that testing can be good for peace of mind and can promote vigilance in watching for symptoms and getting early treatment. A few years ago, Annemarie’s husband was bitten by a tick shortly after she was diagnosed with Lyme. When the tick came back from the lab negative for the tested diseases, no further action was necessary. There was no worrying or watching for symptoms to appear. What a huge relief!
If you experience symptoms such as fever, aches and pains, or a rash, see your doctor, and ask for full-panel bloodwork (not just for Lyme disease) to help identify co-infections.
We know this discussion ranks among the worst of the creepy-crawly topics, but common tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme disease, are treatable if they’re caught early. Get outside. Enjoy your summer.
This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Harry Sawyers.
