We are pleased to announce our partnership with GENETICKS to provide enhanced testing of tick pathogens.
Geneticks offers testing for an array of pathogens (up to 15), in addition to the Lyme disease bacteria. Three main packages are available through Geneticks, with the most basic (Lyme) package testing for the bacterial cause of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi), other species of its genus (close relatives), and the bacterial cause of relapsing fever (Borrelia miyamotoi). Prices start at $50 (+tx). Regular testing through Geneticks guarantees results within 5 business days of sample-receipt, and even faster expedited options are available.
For more information, or to submit a tick through Geneticks, click here. Payment for their service is completed on their website.
Please note that ticks sent to Geneticks must be addressed to:
Geneticks Canada
P.O. Box 6472
Sackville, NB
E4L 1G6
For more information, or to submit a tick through Geneticks, click here. Payment for their service is completed on their website.
Please note that ticks sent to Geneticks must be addressed to:
Geneticks Canada
P.O. Box 6472
Sackville, NB
E4L 1G6
There is no charge for tick identification from images submitted through email to:
ticktesting (at) mta (dot) ca *
*Please replace the (at) with @ and (dot) with . when sending an email to us
ticktesting (at) mta (dot) ca *
*Please replace the (at) with @ and (dot) with . when sending an email to us
BEFORE SUBMITTING
Please remember that all turn-around times are based off when the tick is received in our laboratory and do not account for shipping or handling through Canada post or couriers. If you are waiting for results and are concerned about your tick bite, or being to notice signs or symptoms, please contact a certified medical professional.
This is not a clinical test and your veterinarian or health care provider should be consulted to discuss any health implications of the results.
*Why is free testing no longer available through the university?
The actual cost of testing a tick is approximately $70 CAD (this varies slightly depending on the number of ticks being tested at the same time). Up until January 2020, this cost has been covered by research grants and the generosity of private donors. These funds, however, are now fully exhausted.
In some places free tick testing is still available through the provincial public health offices or other access points in the Canadian medical system.
The actual cost of testing a tick is approximately $70 CAD (this varies slightly depending on the number of ticks being tested at the same time). Up until January 2020, this cost has been covered by research grants and the generosity of private donors. These funds, however, are now fully exhausted.
In some places free tick testing is still available through the provincial public health offices or other access points in the Canadian medical system.
HOW TICK TESTING WORKS
Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR | Protocol - JoVE | Peer Reviewed Scientific Video Journal
Summary - Nested PCR is a sensitive, specific, and straightforward technique that can be applied to tick DNA extracts to probe for Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. The initial PCR experiment uses gene-specific primers to generate long amplicons, which then become templates for a subsequent reaction using internal primers.
See video here
Summary - Nested PCR is a sensitive, specific, and straightforward technique that can be applied to tick DNA extracts to probe for Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. The initial PCR experiment uses gene-specific primers to generate long amplicons, which then become templates for a subsequent reaction using internal primers.
See video here
All content copyright, images and data by Dr. Vett K. Lloyd and Mount Allison University