Lyme Disease Tick Testing

Agreement of Understanding

The National Tick Safety progam of Center for Wilderness Safety (CWS); available online at TickSafety.com and TestATick.com, will test the tick (ONE adult tick or up to THREE nymph stage ticks) that you submit using highly specific and sensitive methods for detecting presence or absence of the five most common strands of Lyme disease causing pathogens (Borrelia sp.).
These tests are not intended to provide clinical diagnosis of disease nor should they be interpreted as a substitute for clinical testing or consultation with a physician. CWS and Tick Safety does not practice medicine nor provide medical advice. Tick tests provide accurate assessment of infection status which is a significant factor in determining risk of exposure to disease causing microbes.
Results from your tick test are useful in determining the timing, location, and abundance of infected ticks. Accordingly, we share this information with the public and health agencies that may request it. All shared data is completely anonymous. CWS protects the identity of the individual bitten by or submitting the tick. Information about the bite victim and/or submitter is used only for the purpose of processing payment and communicating results.
Any and all ticks identified by CWS as any species, insect or other substance (scab, gravel, dirt, etc.) other than the Blacklegged "Deer" Tick will NOT be tested, will NOT be returned to the customer, and any tests ordered will NOT be refunded. Any tick that is submitted to us in any form where we are unable to visually identify the tick species WILL be tested for Lyme disease.
The tick testing program of Center for Wilderness Safety, although a non-profit organization, provides this service for a fee. These fees provide funds to support personnel, equipment, and materials related to tick testing and research and awareness on tick-borne disease. Because these tests are not recognized as clinical evidence, they are not typically covered by medical insurance (orders are non-refundable), even though your physician may recommend having the tick tested.
Mailing the tick to CWS/Tick Safety is the responsibility of the customer. CWS and Tick Safety are NOT responsible for ticks that are lost in the mail, or ticks that are destroyed in the shipping process. ALL SALES ARE FINAL, and CWS/Tick Safety will NOT provide a refund for any lost in the mail or encounter a shipping error or mishap. That is the responsibility of the mail carrier.
All sales are final, regardless of whether or not a test was done or not. CWS and Tick Safety are unable to issue a refund under any circumstances, however may issue credit toward future testing if and when needed.

I Agree to the Terms & Conditions stated above*

Yes, I Agree to All Terms & Comditions.

Full Name*

First NameLast Name

E-mail*

Confirmation Emailexample@example.com

Phone Number*

Area CodePhone Number

Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Zip Code

You’ve told us a little bit about you, now we’d like to collect some information about your tick to help us track the spread of ticks/pathogens. The contact information you provided on the previous pages is held in strictest conﬁdence. The information here, pertaining to your tick and/or tick bite, will be shared (anonymously) in our public database.

To start, please tell us where you MOST LIKELY picked up this tick. It may have been around your home, in which case you’d give us your home city/state/zip. But in many cases, people ﬁnd ticks after returning from someplace away from the home (eg. park, beach, or hiking trail). If you’re not sure, give us your best guess for where you think you picked up your tick.

Does your Tick match the one below?

If your Tick is NOT a Blacklegged "Deer"
Tick (shown above) it will NOT be tested.

Location Found*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

ZipCountry

Tick Was Found On:*

Location Found:*

Was It Attached?*

How Long Was It Attached?*

Number of Minutes, Hours, Days, etc.

Is there a Bulls-Eye Rash?*

NOT including small red rashes.

Submit Photo of Rash

How Did You Find Us?*

We collect this data only for demographical purposes.

Questions & Comments

The cost for this service is $39 and your order will not be processed until payment is received. Rush and Urgent options are also available at an additional cost.

HOW MANY TICKS TESTED? Each test can accommodate:

1 Adult tick per test (Engorged or Flat)
Up to 3 Nymph ticks per test (the size of a Poppyseed)

If you are sending us multiple ticks and you would like us to test each tick individually, please place one order per tick. Any fully engorged ticks (not flat) MUST be tested individually.

NOTE: Please note that only Blacklegged "Deer" Ticks (Ixodes scapularis & Ixodes pacificus) will be tested for Lyme disease. All other ticks will be cataloged, however no ELISA tests will be performed. No refunds will be issued for the submission of non-Ixodes ticks.

We do NOT issue refunds for any reason. All sales are final.

— CURRENT TESTING TIMES —

This week, due to overwhelming demand,
our average turnaround time is:

48–72 Hours

Please note that all RUSH and URGENT tests are
moved to the front of the line to accommodate
their urgent testing timeline requirements.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Our lab is open Monday–Friday, 10 AM – 10 PM (ET),
and is typically CLOSED on weekends and most holidays.
All Rush + Urgent tests are performed during business hours ONLY.