Where to submit blood for testing after a tick bite? - briefly
Submit the specimen to a certified clinical laboratory that performs tick‑borne disease panels—often a public health department lab, hospital‑affiliated lab, or an accredited private lab. Your primary‑care physician can coordinate the collection and direct it to the appropriate testing facility.
Where to submit blood for testing after a tick bite? - in detail
Blood drawn after a tick bite should be sent to a laboratory that can perform serologic and molecular assays for tick‑borne pathogens. The first point of contact is usually a primary‑care physician or urgent‑care clinic, which can order the appropriate tests and forward the specimen to a certified laboratory. If a physician’s office is unavailable, a hospital emergency department can collect the sample and route it to the hospital’s own lab or an external reference lab.
Public‑health laboratories operated by state health departments accept specimens for mandatory reporting of diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis. Submission to these facilities often requires a physician’s request form and adherence to specific packaging guidelines (e.g., serum in a red‑top tube, whole blood in an EDTA tube).
Commercial reference laboratories (e.g., Quest Diagnostics, Labcorp) provide a broader panel that may include PCR for Babesia, Rickettsia, and Borrelia, as well as immunofluorescence assays for antibodies. These labs accept direct submissions from physicians; some also allow patients to order tests through telemedicine services, provided a valid medical order is supplied.
Key steps for proper specimen handling:
- Collect blood using the tube type specified by the testing protocol (serum for antibody tests, EDTA for PCR).
- Label the tube with patient ID, date, and time of collection.
- Store at 2–8 °C if transport will exceed two hours; avoid freezing unless instructed.
- Ship the specimen with a cold pack and a biohazard label, following the carrier’s regulations for biological samples.
Timing influences test selection. Antibody detection for Lyme disease is most reliable 2–4 weeks post‑exposure, whereas PCR can identify early infection within days of the bite. Discuss the suspected exposure date with the ordering clinician to ensure the appropriate assay is chosen.
Insurance coverage varies. Many plans reimburse tests ordered by a licensed provider at a CLIA‑certified lab. For uninsured patients, state health departments may offer reduced‑cost testing for reportable diseases, and some commercial labs provide self‑pay pricing lists online.
In summary, obtain a medical order, choose a CLIA‑certified laboratory—whether hospital‑based, state public‑health, or commercial—and follow the specimen collection and shipping instructions precisely to ensure accurate detection of tick‑borne infections.