New Ohio State tick testing service tracks diseases, aids faster diagnoses

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ticks are creeping into more corners of Ohio every year — and with them, the threat of serious illnesses.

Now, a new service from The Ohio State University is helping protect people and pets by identifying ticks and the diseases they carry.

Ohio State has launched the Buckeye Tick Test, a new pathogen testing service that offers comprehensive identification and disease screening for ticks found on humans and animals.

The Buckeye Tick Test, Ohio’s first service allowing residents to mail in ticks for analysis, is an interdisciplinary project led by Ohio State’s Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) and Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). The lab is directed by Risa Pesapane, an associate professor with joint appointments at Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) and CVM.

The test identifies tick species and screens for multiple pathogens, including those causing Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

“Having an Ohio State–based laboratory gives residents a much-needed option to submit ticks for pathogen testing,” said Tim McDermott, educator with Ohio State University Extension — CFAES’ outreach arm — who also holds appointments with CVM and IDI. “That information can help physicians and veterinarians with diagnosis and treatment — and it also gives us the ability to track what ticks and diseases are present across the state.”

Ohio has seen a significant uptick in both tick populations and the diversity of tick species in recent years. Twenty years ago, the American dog tick was the only tick of medical concern in Ohio. Today, five tick species are considered medically important, including the invasive Asian longhorned tick and Gulf Coast tick, both confirmed in the state since 2020.

“The speed of change in tick distribution and tick pathogen impact needed to be addressed by new research and new diagnostic services,” McDermott said. “We know that this service will assist physicians and veterinarians in helping their clients and patients — and it will help keep Ohioans, their families, and their animals tick-safe.”

Beyond testing, the service is a valuable data collection tool. Each tick submission helps build a more accurate map of where different species and diseases are spreading in Ohio, McDermott said. That information can inform public health efforts and contributes to a broader understanding of tick activity and disease risk in Ohio.

“The data we collect will support research and public health efforts statewide,” McDermott said. “How it complements our outreach is that this will provide very useful data on tick numbers, distribution, and disease prevalence throughout Ohio that then can be used when we engage audiences such as producers, Ohio 4-H youth, Master Gardener Volunteers, pesticide applicators, and naturalists.”

McDermott noted several misconceptions about ticks:

• Ticks are not just a summertime threat. Some species, such as the blacklegged (deer) tick, are most active in the fall and winter months.
• Ticks aren’t limited to the woods. “You can find them in pastures, meadows — even in your front lawn,” he said.

“Basically, you have a chance to encounter a tick in about any habitat, at about any time of the year,” McDermott said. “Knowing that, and planning for that, plus the use of a personal protection plan, will keep you, your family, and your animals tick-safe.”

If bitten by a tick, McDermott recommends removing it promptly with tweezers or a tick removal tool, then cleaning the bite area, washing your hands, and storing the tick in a sealed bag. Ticks can be submitted to the Buckeye Tick Test for analysis or saved in case symptoms develop later.

“Early detection is critical,” he said. “If you think you’ve been exposed to a tick bite, contact your physician or veterinarian right away.”

The Buckeye Tick Test service is part of Ohio State’s broader effort to address vector-borne disease risks through science, outreach, and innovation.

More information, including submission instructions and costs, is available at buckeyeticktest.osu.edu.