Tick bites in healthy adults from western Norway: Occurrence, risk factors, and outcomes

Abstract

The frequency of tick bites, risk factors, as well as simple outcome measures after tick bites in a healthy adult population (blood donors) from Sogn and Fjordane county situated at the western coast of Norway, was assessed. The study was based on cross-sectional data from blood donors at 4 different blood banks in the county during the period January to June 2010. Data on tick bites and potential risk factors were collected from 1213 blood donors using a questionnaire. Among participants, 65.7% had experienced tick bites during their life time, whereas 30% reported recent tick bites (during the latest 12 months). There were fewer tick bites in the eastern, inland part of the county, where the tick Ixodes ricinus is less prevalent compared to the western, coastal regions. The number of total and recent tick bites increased with the respondent's age, hours spent outdoors during summertime, educational level, ownership of domestic animals, and hunting. Women older than 50 years reported more bites than similarly aged men and younger females. Among bitten subjects, 22.7% reported ever having had a rash around a tick bite, whereas 12.7% had seen a medical doctor and 7.7% had received antibiotics owing to tick bite. Avoiding certain locations owing to a fear of tick bites was reported by 15.7% of all respondents, more women than men. In conclusion, tick bites are common in the western part of Norway. The risk of being bitten varies with age and outdoor activities, animal contact, and geography. The consequences in terms of disease seem modest.

Seroprevalence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in healthy adults from western Norway: risk factors and methodological aspects

“…Notably, persons who reported to never have been bitten had a seropositivity rate for IgG of 4.9%, supporting the well-known clinical observation that tick bites often go unnoticed (24,25). The real proportion of these blood donors having experienced tick bites is therefore probably greater than the selfreported 65.7% (4). The occurrence of ticks is lower in the eastern, inland-like part of Sogn and Fjordane county than in the western, coastal areas, and the blood donors from this area (the blood bank in Laerdal) reported fewer tick bites than those from the other blood banks (1,4).…”

Seroprevalence of antibodies to tick-borne encephalitis virus and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in healthy adults from western Norway

“…Among the blood donors included in the present study, 65.7% reported having been bitten by ticks at least once in their lifetime, and 30.0% reported tick bites during the last twelve months [18]. Fewer tick bites were reported from the donors in the eastern than in the western part of the county.…”

“…A total of 1,213 blood donors participated, a response rate of 76%. Characteristics of the participants are presented previously [18]; mean age was 45.8 (range: 19-69) years and 55.2% were men. Sera from a subgroup of 301 subjects, randomly selected, were analysed for antibodies to A.…”

Using Risk Group Profiles as a Lightweight Qualitative Approach for Intervention Development: An Example of Prevention of Tick Bites and Lyme Disease

“…The first risk group consists of people that spend a lot of time outdoors (outdoor people), such as hikers, campers, and dog owners. The number of hours spent outdoors per week is related to the risk of tick bites; the greater the number of hours spent outdoors, the higher the incidence of tick bites [21,22]. The second risk group includes children aged from 5 to19 years because of their increased contact with tick habitats, for example, because they play outside [5,23,24].…”