The First At-Home Test for Infected Ticks Could Improve Lyme Disease Diagnosis

More than 31 million Americans experience a tick bite each year, with Lyme disease being the most common diagnosis. Over 476,000 patients are treated annually for Lyme disease, primarily in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Upper Midwest regions. Erin Dawicki, a pediatric physician associate in Boston, has noticed an increase in children with Lyme arthritis, a condition that develops after an untreated tick bite.

Dawicki, who took a health care entrepreneurship course at MIT Sloan as an MBA student in 2024, had a "aha moment" during the class. She wanted to develop a way for patients to test ticks at home, rather than relying on office visits to diagnose Lyme disease. Most tick bites transmit diseases within 36 to 48 hours, making early detection crucial for treatment.

While most Lyme disease cases are treated with antibiotics, some people experience post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, which includes persistent fatigue, muscle pain, and cognitive difficulties.

Dawicki's idea is to create a test that allows patients to identify infected ticks at home, eliminating the need for office visits. This would improve early treatment, reduce antibiotic resistance, and help manage the growing issue of Lyme disease.