How many tests are performed on ticks? - briefly
Researchers typically conduct anywhere from dozens to several thousand laboratory assays on tick specimens, depending on the study’s objectives and resources. No universal standard determines the exact number of tests performed.
How many tests are performed on ticks? - in detail
Tick testing programs typically assess multiple pathogens per specimen. In United States surveillance, a single tick may undergo between three and seven molecular assays, most often polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panels that target Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Rickettsia spp., and Powassan virus. Some state labs expand the panel to include Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Heartland virus, raising the count to nine assays.
European reference laboratories frequently employ broader multiplex platforms. A standard protocol can involve up to fifteen PCR reactions, covering Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetii, and several viral agents. When combined with serological screens for Babesia and TBE virus, the total number of distinct tests per tick often reaches twenty‑four.
Large‑scale studies provide concrete averages. The CDC’s 2022 tick‑borne disease surveillance report documented 12,487 tested specimens, with a mean of 5.6 distinct assays per tick. A 2023 German tick‑monitoring project examined 8,902 specimens, reporting an average of 9.3 separate analyses per specimen, including both nucleic‑acid detection and immunofluorescence assays.
Testing depth depends on the collection purpose. Routine public‑health monitoring usually limits assays to the most common agents, while research investigations may apply next‑generation sequencing (NGS) to each tick, generating hundreds of genomic reads that effectively count as thousands of individual tests for pathogen discovery.
In summary, the number of examinations performed on individual ticks ranges from a minimum of three basic PCR assays to more than twenty comprehensive tests, with regional surveillance programs averaging between five and ten distinct analyses per specimen.