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Bergen Giardiasis Cohort

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Design notes & limitations. Controlled cohort with a matched unexposed comparator and unusually long follow-up (3, 6, and 10 years), demonstrating persistence of post-infectious IBS and chronic fatigue after a protozoan (non-viral) infection.

Identity & trigger

Cohort id
bergen-giardiasis-2004
Aliases
Bergen Giardia outbreak cohort
Outbreak / event
Bergen giardiasis outbreak 2004 (Norway)
Pathogen
Giardia duodenalis (lamblia) (Protozoan)
Exposure ascertainment
Mixed

Design

Design
Retrospective cohort
Denominator defined
Yes
Denominator method
Individuals with laboratory-confirmed Giardia during the 2004 Bergen waterborne outbreak, compared with matched controls from the same population.
Recruitment
population registry
Time zero
Laboratory-confirmed acute giardiasis during the 2004 outbreak (quarter)
Control group
Unexposed (matched)

Size & attrition

Enrolled
1252
Analysed / enrolled
1252/1252 (100%)
Max follow-up (months)
120

Biospecimens

Specimens
No
Types
none
Acute-phase specimens
No
Biobank
N/A
External access
Unknown

Observations (2)

Symptoms

39.4% Proportion

Measure
Irritable bowel syndrome (post-infectious) sym:irritable-bowel-syndrome
As worded
“irritable bowel syndrome 6 years after giardiasis”
Population
whole cohort · denominator Unclear · N=measured, not reported
Timing
72 mo (24 mo+) · ref Not reported
Method
Unclear · Rome criteria for irritable bowel syndrome
Comparator
no comparator
Comparability signature
b1c0829e61 — measure sym:irritable-bowel-syndrome · Unclear · ref Not reported · denom Unclear · 24 mo+ · Proportion
Provenance
Results/Abstract (IBS 39.4% in exposed, significantly elevated vs controls) · Manual · verified OSMF research-tracker (web-verified against source) on 2026-07-20

30.8% Proportion

Measure
Fatigue sym:fatigue
As worded
“chronic fatigue 6 years after giardiasis”
Population
whole cohort · denominator Unclear · N=measured, not reported
Timing
72 mo (24 mo+) · ref Not reported
Method
Unclear · Chalder Fatigue Scale
Comparator
no comparator
Comparability signature
4126b3eea7 — measure sym:fatigue · Unclear · ref Not reported · denom Unclear · 24 mo+ · Proportion
Provenance
Results/Abstract (chronic fatigue 30.8% in exposed, significantly elevated vs controls) · Manual · verified OSMF research-tracker (web-verified against source) on 2026-07-20

Publications

Provenance & verification

Registration
n/r
Funders
Haukeland University Hospital / University of Bergen
Related cohorts
none
Symptom-inventory scope
Targeted panel
Last verified
2026-07-20 — OSMF research-tracker (web-verified against source)