Ticks are found throughout Washington state and pose risks of tick-borne disease to both people and pets. Tick submissions from the general public provide important information on what tick species are encountered and help determine the risk of tick-borne disease.
Why is tick data important?
Ticks can carry harmful disease-causing pathogens. The most common tick-borne diseases in Washington State are:
- Tick-borne relapsing fever.
- Lyme disease.
- Anaplasmosis.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Ticks can also cause tick paralysis in both people and animals. Tick-borne illnesses can be very severe, so taking steps to avoid tick bites is important.
- Ticks are most commonly encountered during the spring and early summer months.
- The western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus, is the state’s vector of Lyme disease and anaplasmosis. This tick is found in western Washington and along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains.
- The western dog tick, Dermacentor similis, and Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni, are vectors of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. These ticks are common in eastern Washington.
View the Data
What’s Here
The Tick Data dashboard includes data about ticks that people submit to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). People submit ticks for identification along with a completed form. DOH identifies each tick by species and life stage. Following identification, DOH emails the submitter information about that tick species, along with links to additional information about ticks and tick-borne diseases associated with that species. We do not test these public tick submissions for bacteria.
The tick submission form asks for the date of collection, county, zip code, and general location where the tick was most likely encountered. Additionally, submitters are asked what they were doing at the time, what type of host the tick was collected from, if the tick was attached or not, age and gender of human hosts, and if the submitter had any out of state travel during the two weeks prior to finding the tick, and if so, the location of travel.
The Tick and Wildfire map includes data submitted by the public through Washington Trails Association trip reports. Reports since 1993 that mention encounters with ticks are included in the map. The map also shows the location, size, and severity of wildfires. We developed this map to help explore the relationship between ticks and wildfires, not to show a known or established connection.
Learn How to Prevent Tick Bites and How to Submit a Tick for Identification
Learn more about ticks in Washington State.
Additional Resources
Contact Us
For information or questions related to the Washington Tracking Network, email DOH.WTN@doh.wa.gov.
Let Us Know How You Used the Data
We love hearing about how our data is being used to make an impact on the health of people in Washington. It also helps us to know what is meeting your needs and how we can improve the information we provide. If you used our data, please tell us about it by sending an email to DOH.WTN@doh.wa.gov.
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