Buckeye Tick Test is a public service that protects Ohio communities by identifying ticks and detecting the diseases they carry. As ticks continue to expand their range and transmit emerging pathogens, timely and accurate surveillance is essential for understanding risk and guiding public health response.

Each tick submitted contributes to a growing statewide surveillance effort while providing hands‑on laboratory training for students who play a direct role in real‑world public health research.

Public Health Impact

Tick surveillance—the systematic collection and analysis of ticks—is critical to protecting public health, animal health, and agricultural systems.

Ticks transmit diseases that affect people, pets, livestock, and wildlife, creating risks that extend beyond individual exposure and into veterinary care, food production, and ecosystem health.
 Every tick identified and tested adds to a statewide dataset that helps researchers and public health professionals understand where ticks are spreading and what diseases they carry.

This work supports:

• Monitoring the spread of tick species across Ohio
• Identifying disease‑causing pathogens earlier
• Tracking changes in pathogen prevalence over time

• Informing public health, veterinary, and agricultural outreach and prevention efforts

To date, Buckeye Tick Test has processed more than 5,000 ticks, with nearly 800 testing positive for disease‑causing pathogens. This data is essential for identifying emerging threats and helping protect Ohio communities, animals, and agricultural systems.

Buckeye Tick Test is a fee‑for‑service program available to the general public, providing accessible tick identification and disease testing while supporting statewide surveillance efforts.

Student Training and Real-World Experience 

Students are a vital part of the Buckeye Tick Test laboratory.
 Through their work in the lab, students gain hands‑on experience by contributing directly to diagnostic and surveillance activities that support Ohio’s public health infrastructure.

In the Buckeye Tick Test lab, students:

• Assist with tick identification and processing
• Learn laboratory testing and pathogen detection techniques
• Contribute to data used in statewide surveillance
• Gain experience translating research into public health action

This immersive training prepares students for careers in public health, laboratory science, veterinary medicine, and related fields — while allowing them to contribute meaningfully to work that matters beyond the classroom.

Student Perspective
"By working at Buckeye Tick Test, I got to apply what I learned in my classes to the bigger picture, connecting my lab skills to the real world. I also feel like I am contributing to significant public health efforts through my work." 

Zara Syed, Ohio State University Class of 2026

BS Microbiology

How Your Support Helps

Donor support helps sustain both the public health service and the student training that make Buckeye Tick Test possible, including:

• Laboratory supplies and testing materials
• Training and supervision for student researchers
• Data analysis and reporting for statewide surveillance
• Continued operation of a public health resource serving Ohio residents