What is this service?
This rapid test examines a submitted tick for a Borrelia burgdorferi marker. It is not a patient test and does not determine whether a person became infected.
When is it used?
- For information about whether the requested marker was detected in the submitted tick.
- As supplementary information after a bite, without replacing medical assessment of the person.
What happens?
The specimen is the tick itself, not blood or another patient specimen. Confirm how it must be stored, packaged, and delivered.
What should you know beforehand?
Do not delay medical advice while waiting for tick testing. Follow safe removal and transport instructions and do not start treatment on your own.
What do you receive?
The result applies only to the requested marker in the submitted tick. A positive result does not prove transmission, and a negative result does not eliminate risk after a bite.
Sources and editorial status
This patient-facing text is an editorial draft. It should be approved by a laboratory physician before official publication.