Tick-borne diseases in Norway

In Norway, there are eight different diseases that can be contracted by humans through tick bites, with borreliosis and Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) being the most prevalent. In highly endemic regions, such as coastal areas in southern Norway, approximately 25% of ticks carry the Borrelia bacteria, whereas less than 1% harbor the TBE virus. Additionally, various other microbes, including anaplasma, neoehrlichia, babesia, rickettsia, tularemia, and borrelia myamotoi, have been identified in sheep ticks in Norway, although only a few human cases have been reported. Despite the potential for disease transmission, studies have shown that the actual risk of illness following a tick bite is remarkably low, estimated at around 2%. Nonetheless, the incidence of tick-borne diseases has increased in Norway and several other European countries.