Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40380337›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2025

Persistent self-reported health complaints in Norwegians who attribute their symptoms to tick bites or tick-borne disease- a cross-sectional controlled study.

Audun Olav Dahlberg, Audun Aase, Harald Reiso, Erik Thortveit, Randi Eikeland, Morten Engstrøm, Rune Midgard

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Audun Olav DahlbergNorwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway. audunod@stud.ntnu.no.
Audun AaseDepartment of Method Development and Analytics, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, NO-0213, Norway.
Harald ReisoNorwegian National Advisory Unit on Tick-borne Diseases, Sørlandet Hospital Trust, Post-box 783, Arendal, NO-4809, Norway.
Erik ThortveitNorwegian National Advisory Unit on Tick-borne Diseases, Sørlandet Hospital Trust, Post-box 783, Arendal, NO-4809, Norway.
Randi EikelandNorwegian National Advisory Unit on Tick-borne Diseases, Sørlandet Hospital Trust, Post-box 783, Arendal, NO-4809, Norway.
Morten EngstrømNorwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway.
Rune MidgardNorwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe frequency and mechanisms of persistent health complaints attributed to tick bites or tick-borne diseases are unknown. We evaluate such complaints in Norwegian cases and controls.

methodsPeople older than 18 years with persistent health complaints of six months or more attributed to tick bites or tick-borne diseases (cases) were recruited into a nationwide cross-sectional study between October 2016 and January 2021. Demographic data, tick bites, antibiotic use, and tick-borne pathogen serology were recorded. We evaluated somatic symptoms (PHQ-15), fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale), mental and physical health (RAND-36), affective symptoms (HAD Scale) and modern health worries (MHW Scale) as outcome measures. Serological tests included IgG antibodies against B. burgdorferi (Bb) and other tick-borne pathogens. The control population (n = 2803) was recruited from a tick-endemic region in Søgne, southern Norway. Differences between cases and controls were evaluated.

resultsA total of 500 responses were collected through general practitioners (n = 14), by invitation (n = 94), and by Short Message Service (SMS) (n = 392). The estimate of prevalence is based on 392 of 270.000 included by SMS (0.15%). The SMS cohort reported better physical health than those recruited by invitation. Cases had significantly more somatic and affective symptoms, fatigue, comorbidities, and reduced quality of life related to health than controls. The differences in fatigue and physical health between cases and controls were not related to previous tick exposures. Bb IgG and other antibodies against tick-borne pathogens were more prevalent in cases than controls. In multivariable analyses, cases that were never treated did not exhibit higher somatic symptom scores compared to those treated multiple times. Seropositive Bb cases had worse mental health (p < 0.001) and more depressive symptoms (p = 0.017) than seronegative cases.

conclusionsThe crude prevalence of persistent health complaints in Norway attributed to tick bites or tick-borne diseases is 0.15%. The cases reported significantly poorer physical health, including increased fatigue, when compared to the controls. These relationships were not affected by tick exposures. However, poorer mental health in cases may be associated with Bb seropositivity, especially for the ones with comorbidities. In conclusion, no clear associations were found between tick bites, tick-borne diseases and persistent health complaints.

Indexed as

Tick BitesTick-Borne DiseasesAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFatigueFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNorwaySelf ReportYoung AdultCross-sectional controlled studyLyme borreliosisPersistent health complaintsPROMSerology

Identifiers

PMID40380337
PMCPMC12085041

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.