New York State Adult Deer Tick Pathogen Prevalence Data

2008 onward surveillance data from collecting and testing adult deer ticks across New York State, excluding New York City, during the October to December season. The dataset includes pathogen infection percentages, tick population density, and totals for tested and collected ticks by county. It is published by the New York State Department of Health via health.data.ny.gov.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial correlation between County and pathogen infection rates like B. burgdorferi (%) or B. miyamotoi (%) using geospatial County Centroid data.
• Model annual trends in Total Ticks Collected and Tick Population Density against Year to assess population changes.
• Investigate co-infection patterns by comparing percentages of different pathogens like A. phagocytophilum (%) and B. microti (%) within the same county records.
• Calculate county-level risk indices by combining Total Tested, Total Ticks Collected, and specific pathogen percentages.

Strengths

• Multi-year temporal coverage beginning in 2008, providing a longitudinal view.
• Includes multiple pathogen infection percentages (B. burgdorferi, B. miyamotoi, A. phagocytophilum, B. microti) per record.
• Geospatial context provided via County and County Centroid fields for mapping analysis.

Limitations

• Data is limited to adult ticks collected only from October to December each year, missing other life stages and seasons.
• Spatial coverage excludes New York City, limiting statewide representativeness.
• The dataset cautions that infection rates can vary greatly within small areas and should not be used to broadly predict county-level disease risk.

Provenance

Source

health.data.ny.gov (New York State Department of Health).

Collection Method

Collection and individual laboratory testing of adult deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) across New York State.

Time Range

Beginning 2008.

Freshness

Updated as of May 2025.

Geography

New York State, excluding New York City.