Where should blood be sent after a tick bite?

Where should blood be sent after a tick bite? - briefly

Blood should be dispatched to a certified clinical laboratory equipped to perform serologic or PCR assays for tick‑borne pathogens such as Borrelia, Anaplasma, or Babesia. The laboratory must be accredited for infectious‑disease testing and capable of reporting results promptly to the treating clinician.

Where should blood be sent after a tick bite? - in detail

After a tick attachment, the blood specimen must be delivered to a laboratory equipped to perform serologic and molecular testing for tick‑borne pathogens. The appropriate destination is typically one of the following:

  • Clinical microbiology or infectious‑disease laboratory within a hospital or reference center.
  • Public health laboratory authorized to conduct surveillance for emerging vector‑borne infections.
  • Commercial diagnostic service that offers panels for Borrelia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Babesia, and other relevant agents.

Specimen handling guidelines ensure accurate results:

  1. Collect 5–10 ml of whole blood in serum‑separator tubes; for PCR, use EDTA tubes.
  2. Centrifuge serum within two hours of draw; store serum at 2–8 °C if testing occurs within 24 hours, otherwise freeze at –20 °C or lower.
  3. For nucleic‑acid extraction, keep whole blood or plasma at 4 °C and ship on ice packs; avoid repeated freeze‑thaw cycles.
  4. Include a requisition form specifying the suspected tick‑borne disease, date of bite, and any prophylactic antibiotics administered.
  5. Use a courier service that complies with regulations for biological samples, providing temperature monitoring and a chain‑of‑custody documentation.

Choosing a laboratory with validated assays for the geographic region improves diagnostic yield. Facilities accredited by agencies such as CAP, CLIA, or ISO 15189 meet quality‑assurance standards required for reliable detection of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and related infections.