Where to submit a test after a tick bite? - briefly
Submit the specimen to a clinical laboratory or public health department that provides tick‑borne disease testing, ideally within 24–48 hours of removal. Contact a primary‑care physician for a referral to the appropriate testing facility.
Where to submit a test after a tick bite? - in detail
After a tick attachment, a laboratory analysis is required to detect possible infection with Borrelia burgdorferi or other tick‑borne pathogens. The specimen is typically a serum or plasma sample collected by venipuncture.
The most common destinations for such specimens include:
- Primary‑care offices: physicians order the test, collect the sample, and send it to the laboratory partnered with the practice. Results are returned within 3–7 days.
- Urgent‑care centers: provide rapid collection and dispatch to regional reference labs, often delivering preliminary findings in 48 hours.
- Public‑health laboratories: accept submissions without a physician’s order in many jurisdictions, offering testing for a broad panel of tick‑borne diseases at reduced cost.
- Commercial diagnostic companies (e.g., Quest Diagnostics, Labcorp): require a signed requisition form, accept samples via courier or drop‑off, and supply electronic reports within one week.
Preparation steps:
- Obtain a requisition form specifying the desired panel (e.g., Lyme disease IgM/IgG, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Babesia).
- Label the tube with patient identifier, date, and collection time.
- Store the specimen at 2–8 °C if transport exceeds 24 hours; otherwise, keep at room temperature.
- Use a certified courier or deliver directly to the lab’s intake window.
Insurance coverage varies by provider; most plans reimburse tests ordered by a licensed clinician. For uninsured patients, public‑health labs often provide free or low‑cost testing, while commercial labs list cash prices online.
Interpretation of results should be performed by a qualified healthcare professional. Positive serology may require confirmatory testing, and treatment decisions follow current clinical guidelines. Negative results do not exclude early infection; repeat testing after two weeks is recommended if symptoms persist.