At-home test for infected ticks could improve Lyme Disease diagnosis

Add as preferred source Of the estimated 899 species of ticks worldwide, about 90 are found in the continental U.S.; however, only four species are responsible for most of the infections found in the U.S. today. Tomasz Klejdysz/Getty Images Research shows that more than 31 million Americans —or nearly one in ten people—experience a tick bite every year. While some tick bites can be harmless, these parasitic arachnids that feed on both animals and people can transmit dozens of diseases in as little as 36 to 48 hours, including anaplasmosis , babesiosis , Rocky Mountain spotted fever , alpha-gal syndrome and Lyme disease .