COLUMBUS — 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 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 and Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The lab is directed by Risa Pesapane, an associate professor with joint appointments at Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and CVM.
The test identifies tick species and screens for multiple pathogens, including those causing Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
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.
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, said Tim McDermott, educator with Ohio State University Extension. That information can inform public health efforts and contribute to a broader understanding of tick activity and disease risk in Ohio.
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 and 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.
Tick testing panels from Ohio State are specific to the germs transmitted by different species of ticks and include all the most common tick-borne diseases of humans and animals, like Lyme disease, for $49.99 per tick.
More information, including submission instructions, is available at buckeyeticktest.osu.edu.
