To find out if your tick is infectious, you have the option to send in your tick for medical screening with the PCR-method. If the result is
- negative, the pathogen was not detected in your tick. If symptoms occur, they are not caused by the suspected pathogen;
- positive, the pathogen was detected in your tick. An infection might have, but has not necessarily occurred. Discuss the test result with your doctor.
You will get the result usually within a few days. The analysis has the advantage that you are on the safe side in case of a negative result (pathogens not detected), even if symptoms should occur within the incubation period (5-29 days borreliosis, TBE 3-28 days, see Ticks and Disease). In this case the symptoms are not associated with a possible infection by ticks, but should be examined and treated in any case
The submission form offers the following examinations:
- Borrelia
- TBE virus
- Babesia
- Ehrlichia
- Rickettsiae
Discuss with your doctor which test is important.
Should you suffer fever, headache or other symptoms of illness after being bitten by a tick, please seek medical attention.
Information about Public Health England’s tick awareness resources, see here.
Information about ticks and tick related diseases you find at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Information about the risk of Lyme disease to Canadians, see here.
Please note that the advice regarding the removal of ticks provided within these sources does not, in our opinion, correspond to the current state of knowledge.