If you remove a deer tick from yourself, your family or pet, you may want to have it tested. After proper tick removal, you will need to place the tick in a sealed plastic bag with a moist cotton ball, which will keep the tick from drying out.
Please be advised that tick testing should not be used solely as a diagnosis for Lyme Disease or other tick-borne diseases. Tick tests look for pathogens that the tick may be carrying which may cause disease. The tests DO NOT test for disease in humans – having a tick tested will only tell you if the TICK is carrying certain diseases and NOT IF YOU HAVE BEEN INFECTED.
If symptoms of infection begin, seek medical attention immediately. DO NOT wait for test results.
You can submit the tick to any of the following laboratories/organizations for testing:
At-home tick testing kits:
Disclaimer: The Wayne County Lyme Disease Task force does not make any recommendations regarding whether a tick should be tested, reliability of tick testing, laboratory choice or treatment. This information is intended solely as a resource tool to assist you in finding a laboratory that provides tick testing.
