Wisconsin Residents Tracked Ticks to Map Pathogens

Public-submitted tick samples expanded research on Lyme disease, which saw a 400% case increase over two decades.

Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Life Sciences

Isometric editorial illustration of a specimen container on a forest floor, symbolizing public-sourced scientific data collection. — Wisconsin residents submitted nearly 6,000 tick samples to the Marshfield Clinic in 2025, providing critical geographic data for tracking pathogen prevalence and Lyme disease. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Has the increased presence of tick-borne threats changed how you prepare for outdoor activities?

In 2025, Wisconsin residents contributed to a large-scale research effort by submitting nearly 6,000 tick samples to the Marshfield Clinic. This crowdsourced data helped characterize pathogen prevalence as the state recorded 8,929 cases of Lyme disease that year.

Why it matters

By engaging the public to collect specimens, researchers achieved a much broader geographic sampling range than traditional field-dragging methods. This effort provides critical data as climate shifts potentially alter the range of tick species like the Lone Star tick.

Marshfield Clinic research found that more than 50% of tested adult deer ticks carried Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. In the Driftless region, that positive rate reached 62% in analyzed samples.

The players

Marshfield Clinic

A Wisconsin-based health system that conducts clinical and epidemiological research on zoonotic diseases and microbiomes.

The details

Researchers at the Marshfield Clinic previously gathered data by dragging a meter-square cloth along vegetation to collect ticks from the environment. The current project replaces this manual labor with public contributions, where residents email the clinic to request collection kits and submit ticks along with location surveys. These specimens are then analyzed to map the microbiome and identify the presence of specific pathogens within local tick populations.

2024: Nearly 6,000 ticks were collected from Wisconsin residents.
2025: Wisconsin recorded 8,929 confirmed cases of Lyme disease.
Past two decades: Lyme disease cases increased by over 400%.

The Tech Race

This project builds on the established Marshfield Clinic tick-borne pathogen and microbiome surveillance program. It marks a shift from centralized field collection toward a decentralized model that increases the resolution of regional pathogen mapping.

Wisconsin residents interested in contributing to future studies can request tick collection kits from the Marshfield Clinic. Public awareness remains a primary defense, as infected ticks generally require more than 24 hours of attachment to transmit disease.

The takeaway

The rise in Lyme disease cases across Wisconsin underscores the importance of tracking tick populations as potential habitats shift. Residents should monitor future reports from the Marshfield Clinic regarding the expansion of the Lone Star tick into northern territories.