Where can you submit a blood sample after a tick bite?

Understanding the Need for Blood Testing After a Tick Bite

Why Test Blood After a Tick Bite?

Identifying Potential Pathogens

After a tick attachment, a blood specimen may be sent to a clinical laboratory for pathogen detection. Accurate identification of the infecting organism guides treatment, informs prognosis, and supports public‑health surveillance.

Common tick‑borne agents that laboratories test for include:

Borrelia burgdorferi – the cause of Lyme disease; detected by ELISA followed by Western blot or PCR.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum – responsible for human granulocytic anaplasmosis; identified through PCR or serology.
Ehrlichia chaffeensis – agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis; diagnosed by PCR, immunofluorescence assay, or culture.
Babesia microti – protozoan causing babesiosis; recognized by thick‑smear microscopy, PCR, or serology.
Rickettsia spp. – including R. rickettsii (Rocky Mountain spotted fever); confirmed by PCR or indirect immunofluorescence.
Powassan virus – flavivirus leading to encephalitis; detected by RT‑PCR or IgM serology.

Diagnostic facilities capable of processing these tests comprise:

Hospital‑affiliated microbiology labs with accredited tick‑borne disease panels.
State public‑health laboratories that offer specialized PCR and serologic assays.
Commercial reference laboratories that provide comprehensive tick‑borne pathogen panels on a send‑in basis.

When submitting a sample, include a detailed exposure history, the date of the bite, and any emerging symptoms. Proper labeling, temperature control, and prompt transport to the testing facility maximize the likelihood of pathogen recovery.

Early Detection of Tick-Borne Diseases

Early detection of tick‑borne infections relies on timely analysis of a blood specimen collected after a tick attachment. Prompt testing enables clinicians to initiate appropriate antimicrobial therapy before symptoms progress, reducing the risk of severe complications such as neuroborreliosis or renal impairment.

Samples can be processed at a range of facilities that accept specimens from individuals with recent tick exposure:

Primary‑care physician’s office or family‑medicine clinic
Urgent‑care center operating extended hours
Hospital emergency department, especially in regions with high tick prevalence
State or local public‑health laboratory that offers specialized testing for Borrelia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and other pathogens
Commercial diagnostic companies (e.g., Quest Diagnostics, Labcorp) with accredited collection sites
Travel‑medicine or infectious‑disease clinics that provide targeted panels
Telemedicine providers offering mail‑in kits for home collection, delivered to a certified laboratory

Each venue requires a physician’s order or a documented recent tick bite. Selecting a facility with rapid turnaround (often 24–48 hours) maximizes the clinical benefit of early diagnosis.

Locations for Submitting Blood Samples

Healthcare Providers

Primary Care Physicians

A tick bite often prompts concern about infection with Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, or other tick‑borne pathogens. The first clinical contact for most patients is a primary‑care physician, who can initiate diagnostic evaluation promptly.

Primary‑care clinicians draw the blood specimen, select the appropriate serologic or molecular assay, and transmit the sample to a laboratory equipped to detect tick‑borne agents. They also interpret results, arrange treatment, and schedule follow‑up visits.

Typical destinations for the specimen include:

In‑office laboratory (if equipped for serology or PCR)
Hospital outpatient laboratory network
Regional reference laboratory specializing in vector‑borne diseases
State or public‑health department laboratory
Urgent‑care clinic laboratory (when primary‑care office is unavailable)

The physician verifies that the chosen test matches the suspected pathogen, ensures proper sample handling, and communicates findings to the patient without delay. This coordinated approach streamlines diagnosis and minimizes the risk of complications from delayed treatment.

Urgent Care Centers

Urgent‑care clinics provide immediate access to laboratory testing for individuals who have been bitten by a tick. These facilities accept walk‑in patients without appointments, allowing prompt collection of blood specimens for analysis of potential tick‑borne infections such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and anaplasmosis.

At an urgent‑care center, a clinician will:

Review the bite history and symptoms.
Perform a venipuncture or finger‑stick to obtain the sample.
Send the specimen to an on‑site or partner laboratory equipped to run serologic and PCR tests for common tick pathogens.
Deliver preliminary results within hours to a few days, enabling early treatment decisions.

Because urgent‑care sites operate extended hours, including evenings and weekends, they are suitable for time‑sensitive testing when primary‑care offices are unavailable. Payment options typically include insurance billing, self‑pay, and cash, with most centers offering transparent pricing before service.

Emergency Rooms

Emergency departments provide immediate access to laboratory services for patients who have been bitten by ticks and require a blood draw. Staffed by physicians and phlebotomists, they can obtain and process specimens without appointment delays, ensuring timely evaluation for infections such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, or babesiosis.

Key advantages of using an emergency room for this purpose include:

24‑hour availability, eliminating the need to schedule a future clinic visit.
On‑site testing capabilities, allowing rapid turnaround of serologic or PCR results.
Direct physician assessment, facilitating prompt treatment decisions if laboratory findings indicate infection.

Patients should inform the triage nurse of the tick exposure and request a blood sample for tick‑borne disease testing. The emergency department will document the bite, collect the specimen, and coordinate follow‑up care based on the results.

Specialized Testing Facilities

Commercial Laboratories

After a tick bite, a blood specimen can be processed by for‑profit diagnostic facilities that specialize in infectious‑disease testing. These laboratories require a physician’s requisition, but many also accept direct‑to‑consumer orders when the test is FDA‑cleared.

Key commercial providers include:

Quest Diagnostics – nationwide network, offers Lyme disease and other tick‑borne pathogen panels; results delivered electronically within 3–5 business days.
Labcorp – extensive coverage, provides comprehensive serology and PCR assays for Borrelia, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia; optional home‑collection kits available in select regions.
BioReference Laboratories – focuses on specialty testing, including multiplex PCR for co‑infections; accepts specimens from clinics and authorized individuals.
Sonic Healthcare – operates under the name Sonic Reference Laboratories in the United States; offers high‑throughput screening for tick‑borne diseases.

To use a commercial lab:

Obtain a medical order specifying the desired test panel.
Locate the nearest collection site via the provider’s online locator or call the facility.
Deliver the sample to the site; most locations require a venipuncture performed by certified staff.
Receive results through a secure portal or direct communication from the ordering clinician.

Commercial laboratories provide rapid turnaround, standardized methodology, and broad insurance acceptance, making them a practical choice for confirming or ruling out infections transmitted by ticks.

Public Health Laboratories

After a tick bite, confirming infection with a pathogen such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, or babesiosis requires laboratory analysis of a blood specimen. Public health laboratories serve as the official venues for this type of testing, offering validated assays, standardized reporting, and integration with disease surveillance systems.

These facilities operate at several administrative levels:

State health department laboratories, which handle statewide testing mandates and often provide free or low‑cost services.
County or regional public health labs, which accept specimens from local clinics and private physicians.
Federal public health labs, such as those within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which may process specialized or confirmatory tests.

To locate an appropriate laboratory, follow these steps:

Contact the local or state health department by phone or through its website. Most agencies list laboratory addresses, operating hours, and intake procedures.
Use online directories provided by health authorities, which allow searches by zip code or county.
Ask your healthcare provider to submit the sample directly; many clinicians have established agreements with public health labs.
If transportation is required, arrange for a courier service that complies with biosafety regulations, or deliver the specimen in person during designated collection windows.

When submitting the sample, include a completed requisition form that specifies the suspected tick‑borne disease, the date of exposure, and any relevant clinical symptoms. Provide patient identification and insurance information if applicable. Most public health laboratories guarantee result turnaround within 7–10 business days for standard Lyme disease assays, with faster reporting for urgent cases.

By utilizing public health laboratories, individuals obtain reliable diagnostic outcomes that inform treatment decisions and contribute to broader epidemiological monitoring.

Considerations for Choosing a Submission Point

Insurance Coverage and Cost

Submitting a blood specimen taken after a tick exposure can be done at several medical facilities. Common sites include hospital laboratories, urgent‑care centers, primary‑care offices, dedicated infectious‑disease clinics, and public health department laboratories. Many retail clinics and pharmacy‑based health services also accept such samples when they have a partnership with a certified laboratory.

Insurance policies typically cover the laboratory analysis when the test is ordered by a licensed clinician. Private health plans usually reimburse the full cost of the test after the patient’s deductible is met; co‑payments range from $10 to $30 per visit. Medicare Part B includes tick‑borne disease testing under its clinical laboratory benefit, provided the ordering physician documents medical necessity. Medicaid programs vary by state, but most reimburse the test at the standard rate for the associated CPT code, often with no patient cost share.

For individuals without insurance, the out‑of‑pocket expense depends on the laboratory and the specific assay. Approximate charges are:

Basic serology (e.g., Lyme disease IgM/IgG): $70–$120.
Multiplex PCR panel for tick‑borne pathogens: $150–$250.
Comprehensive tick‑borne disease panel (multiple organisms): $250–$400.

Many laboratories offer a discount for self‑pay patients if the request is made in advance. Some community health centers provide the test at reduced rates or free of charge for qualifying low‑income patients.

When arranging the test, verify that the provider’s billing code matches the insurer’s coverage criteria (CPT 86618 for Lyme serology, CPT 87534 for PCR, etc.). Confirm whether prior authorization is required to avoid unexpected denial. Ensuring that the chosen facility participates in the patient’s network minimizes additional charges and streamlines reimbursement.

Turnaround Time for Results

Submitting a blood specimen after a tick bite typically involves primary‑care offices, urgent‑care centers, hospital laboratories, and state public‑health labs. Turnaround time for test results varies by test type and facility.

Rapid PCR assays for Borrelia, Anaplasma, or Ehrlichia: 24–48 hours from receipt.
Standard ELISA for Lyme disease antibodies: 2–5 days, depending on laboratory workload.
Confirmatory Western blot following a positive ELISA: additional 3–5 days after the initial result.
Multiplex tick‑borne disease panels (including Babesia, Rickettsia, and viral agents): 4–7 days, with some commercial labs offering expedited service for an extra fee.
Point‑of‑care lateral‑flow tests: results within 30 minutes, but lower sensitivity; usually followed by laboratory confirmation.

Urgent‑care and hospital labs often prioritize specimens from recent tick exposures, reducing reporting time to the lower end of the ranges. State public‑health laboratories may require longer intervals (up to 10 days) because of centralized processing and confirmatory testing protocols. Clients should request the expected reporting date at the time of submission to align treatment decisions with laboratory capacity.

Specificity of Tests Offered

After a tick bite, blood specimens can be sent to clinical, public‑health, or reference laboratories that provide assays with defined specificity for tick‑borne pathogens. High‑specificity tests reduce false‑positive results, allowing accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Commercial clinical laboratories (e.g., Quest Diagnostics, Labcorp) routinely offer enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for Lyme disease antibodies followed by confirmatory Western blot. ELISA sensitivity is high, but specificity improves markedly after the Western blot confirms the presence of disease‑specific protein bands. These two‑step protocols achieve specificity rates above 95 % for Lyme disease.

Public‑health laboratories often provide polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for Borrelia burgdorferi DNA, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti. PCR detects pathogen genetic material directly, offering specificity close to 100 % when performed on properly collected specimens. Results are reliable for acute infection and for confirming serologic findings.

University‑affiliated reference centers may supply immunoblot panels that differentiate between early‑stage and late‑stage Lyme disease antibodies, as well as multiplex assays that simultaneously assess multiple tick‑borne agents. Multiplex platforms maintain high specificity for each target by using pathogen‑specific antigens and rigorous validation.

Key aspects of test specificity:

Two‑step serology (ELISA + Western blot): >95 % specificity for Lyme disease.
PCR assays: Near‑100 % specificity for DNA detection of Borrelia, Anaplasma, Babesia.
Multiplex immunoblots: High specificity for each pathogen through distinct antigen selection.
Quality‑controlled reference labs: Accredited facilities implement strict validation, further enhancing specificity.

Choosing a facility that offers these high‑specificity assays ensures reliable interpretation of results after a tick exposure.

Preparing for Your Blood Sample Submission

Important Information to Provide

Date and Location of Tick Bite

Accurate documentation of the bite’s date and geographic origin is essential for directing diagnostic testing after a tick exposure. Record the calendar day, month, and year as soon as the bite is discovered; even a difference of a few days can influence the interpretation of serologic results because antibody development follows a predictable timeline. Include the precise location—city, state or province, and, when possible, the specific environment (e.g., wooded area, meadow, urban park). This information helps laboratories assess the likelihood of infection with region‑specific pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, or Rickettsia species.

When submitting a blood specimen, attach a brief note containing:

Exact date of the tick bite (DD/MM/YYYY).
Detailed location of exposure (city, region, habitat type).
Any known tick species or identification, if available.

Providing these data enables clinicians and laboratory personnel to select appropriate tests, interpret results in the context of regional disease prevalence, and determine the optimal timing for repeat sampling if initial results are inconclusive.

Duration of Tick Attachment

Ticks typically remain attached for 24–48 hours before detaching spontaneously. Attachment beyond 48 hours increases the risk of pathogen transmission, especially for bacteria such as Borrelia and viruses like Powassan. The precise duration can be estimated by examining the engorgement level: a flat, pale tick indicates recent attachment, while a swollen, darkened specimen suggests a longer feeding period.

When a bite occurs, a blood specimen may be required to assess potential infection. Collection should happen as soon as possible after removal, ideally within 72 hours, to capture early serologic markers. Delayed sampling can reduce test sensitivity for certain pathogens that develop detectable antibodies later.

Specimens can be delivered to:

Primary‑care offices that offer in‑house phlebotomy and forward samples to reference laboratories.
Urgent‑care centers with on‑site testing capabilities for tick‑borne diseases.
State or regional public‑health laboratories that accept mailed or couriered blood tubes, often providing free testing for confirmed exposures.
Private diagnostic companies that accept direct drop‑off or scheduled pickup, offering rapid PCR panels for multiple tick‑borne agents.

Choosing a facility with a validated protocol for tick‑bite evaluation ensures appropriate timing, accurate interpretation, and prompt initiation of therapy if needed.

Symptoms Experienced

After a tick attachment, several clinical signs may indicate the need for laboratory evaluation of a blood specimen. Recognizing these manifestations promptly guides the choice of testing facilities and accelerates diagnosis.

Commonly reported symptoms include:

Erythema migrans: expanding red rash, often with central clearing.
Fever or chills, typically appearing within a week of the bite.
Headache, sometimes accompanied by neck stiffness.
Fatigue or general malaise.
Musculoskeletal pain: joint or muscle aches, especially in the knees or shoulders.
Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal discomfort.
Swollen or tender lymph nodes near the bite site.

Less frequent but clinically significant signs:

Neurological deficits such as facial palsy or numbness.
Cardiac irregularities, including palpitations or chest pain.
Persistent cough or respiratory distress.

The onset of any of these symptoms after a tick encounter warrants sending a blood sample to a qualified laboratory—public health department, hospital-based clinical lab, or accredited reference center—where serologic testing for tick‑borne pathogens can be performed. Early specimen submission improves detection rates and informs appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

What to Expect During the Blood Draw

Standard Venipuncture Procedure

Standard venipuncture begins with confirming patient identity and the need for testing after a tick exposure. The phlebotomist selects an appropriate vein, typically the median cubital, prepares the site with an antiseptic swab, and allows it to dry. A sterile needle of suitable gauge is inserted at a shallow angle, blood is collected into labeled tubes, and the needle is withdrawn with immediate application of pressure to prevent hematoma. Proper labeling includes the patient’s name, date, and the specific test request, such as Lyme disease serology.

The collected specimen must be delivered to a facility capable of processing infectious‑disease samples. Acceptable destinations include:

Primary‑care clinics with on‑site laboratories
Urgent‑care centers offering phlebotomy services
Hospital emergency departments that accept external specimens
Accredited reference laboratories that specialize in tick‑borne pathogen testing
Public health laboratories that receive mandatory reports

Delivery should occur promptly, preferably within two hours, to preserve sample integrity. Transport containers must meet universal precautions, be sealed, and maintain temperature conditions recommended by the testing laboratory.

Potential Discomfort and Aftercare

After a tick bite, drawing blood can cause localized pain at the puncture site, a brief sensation of pressure, and occasional bruising. The skin around the bite may already be irritated, increasing sensitivity. Some individuals experience faintness or a mild headache immediately after the venipuncture. If the specimen is collected in a clinic, the waiting area’s temperature and seating can add to discomfort, especially if the bite area is exposed.

Effective aftercare minimizes these effects and reduces the risk of infection:

Apply firm pressure to the puncture site for 30–60 seconds to stop bleeding.
Cover the area with a sterile gauze pad and a hypoallergenic adhesive bandage.
Keep the bandage dry for the first 24 hours; replace if it becomes wet or contaminated.
Use a cold compress for 10 minutes, repeated every hour, to lessen swelling and bruising.
Take an over‑the‑counter analgesic (e.g., acetaminophen or ibuprofen) if pain persists, following dosage instructions.
Observe the site for redness, warmth, increasing pain, or pus; seek medical attention if any appear.
Monitor for systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue, or a spreading rash; report these promptly to a healthcare provider.
Avoid vigorous arm or leg movement for the first few hours to prevent reopening the wound.

Adhering to these steps supports rapid recovery and helps detect early signs of tick‑borne illness.