Combating the Superbug Klebsiella Oxa-48 Outbreak in a Dutch Hospital
15 August 2011
Over 80 patients have been infected with at Maasstad hospital, Rotterdam in the Netherlands due to the outbreak of a multiple antibiotic-resistant bacterium named Klebsiella pneumoniae Oxa-48. The hospital has estimated that over 2000 people were at risk of being infected. The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) was asked to assist the hospital in containing the outbreak.
The Dutch Health Care Performance Report 2010, published by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), has recently become available in English. Commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Health, RIVM monitors trends in the quality, accessibility and costs of health care.
Using a finite set of indicators, this third edition of the report assesses the performance of the health care system in 2008 and 2009 and compares it to previous years and to other countries. The 2006, 2008 and 2010 reports can be downloaded from the RIVM website.
Documentary about Polio
12 May 2010
The documentary 'Polio, a feared childhood disease' was commissioned under the authority
of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The film presents an overall picture in the effort to eradicate Polio. It shows how it is to be diagnosed with polio and how the disease affected patients in later life.
Roel Coutinho, director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands (CIb) of the RIVM presented the DVD to Els Symons, chairwoman of the patients' association of (post)polio patients during de European Immunization week the 26th of April 2010.
'Risk Assessment of Chemicals' in Chinese language
4 May 2010
On April 14th, 2010, the Chinese translation of the book “Risk Assessment of Chemicals: an Introduction” was presented by Mr. v.d. Vlist, to H. E. Ambassador Zhang Jun of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Mr. v.d. Vlist is Secretary-General of the Directorate General for Environmental Protection of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM).
Environmental conditions important in transmission of Q fever
9 March 2010
A research project of RIVM and FutureWater shows that transmission of Q fever from infected dairy goat farms to people depends on local environmental conditions.
Transmission of the Q fever bacterium Coxiella burnetii to humans takes place through inhalation of airborne contaminated dust particles. This explains why most people with Q fever live close (< 5 kilometres) to a Q fever infected farm. However, around a number of dairy goat farms in the Netherlands that had major Q fever problems, not a single human case was notified.
A study was therefore done to assess whether these discrepancies in transmission to humans of Q fever between the different infected farms can be explained by environmental local conditions. Datasets were gathered on a range of environmental factors. The strongest correlation was found with vegetation density, as observed from satellite imagery, and soil moisture. The results confirm that it is very likely that these two environmental factors play an important role in the transmission of Q fever from an infected source to humans.
A new study finds that MRSA occurs in distinct geographical clusters across Europe. This suggests that MRSA is mainly spread by patients who are repeatedly admitted to different hospitals. The study is published by the RIVM in this week’s PLoS Medicine.
To improve the efficiency of laboratory and advisory services in the Netherlands, various tasks have been redistributed between RIKILT Institute for Food Safety and RIVM National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.
As of 1 January 2010:
• Chemical analyses for food safety carried out by RIVM have been transferred to RIKILT.
• Microbiological investigations carried out at RIKILT have been transferred to RIVM.
• With the exception of GMOs, all risk assessment of substances in food products have been transferred from RIKILT to RIVM.
The British Medical Journal (BMJ) of 10 October 2009 published an article on the reform of the Dutch healthcare system. Gert Westert (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, RIVM), Harry Verkleij (RIVM) and Jako Burgers (Scientific Institute for Quality of Healthcare) explained how and why the reform was being carried out and outlined the initial effects of the introduction of the new system. Among other things, the Dutch Healthcare Performance Report revealed that the players in the care market (consumers, insurers and care providers) are provisionally concerned more with the prices and less with the quality of care. The Dutch Healthcare Performance Report is an RIVM publication. It is produced on the strength of research into the accessibility, quality and costs of healthcare in the Netherlands.
Bringing Science to Society: RIVM receives European ambassadors on 30 June 2009
19 June 2009
On the occasion of its 100th anniversary and following the visit of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix earlier this month, the RIVM will receive around fifty ambassadors of European countries accredited to the Netherlands for a working visit.
Themed 'Bringing Science to Society', the visit will offer a glimpse into the history and current activities of the Institute. Various aspects of its research and monitoring capacities will be presented and the practical use of its activities for society will be demonstrated. The visit will be hosted by Secretary General Geert van Maanen of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and by Marc Sprenger, Director General of the RIVM.
More post-launch monitoring of medical devices needed
3 June 2009
Monitoring patient experience is not given sufficient attention by manufacturers of medical devices. This was the conclusion of an investigation carried out by RIVM for the Netherlands Inspectorate for Health Care. Continuous monitoring of medical devices is vital in order to minimize any potential risks associated with their use.
RIVM has published its Annual Report for 2008. Besides providing a general profile of the Institute, the Annual Report also describes the most important projects, studies and developments at RIVM in 2008. Furthermore RIVM has published the Annual Science Report, an overview of all scientific publications of the RIVM in 2008.
Process evaluation of the implementation of Chlamydia screening in the Netherlands: phase 1
26 May 2009
The implementation of Chlamydia screening for 16 to 29 year-old residents of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and South Limburg started in April 2008. The programme is intended to screen sexually active young people for Chlamydia in two screening rounds. The screening went well at technical level, but the degree of participation was lower than anticipated. The participation rates were higher for women than for men. They were also higher for people more than 20 years old than for teenagers, who more often had Chlamydia. Overall, 4.3% of the participants were positive for Chlamydia trachomatis. The results will be crucial to decide whether and how a national roll-out of Chlamydia trachomatis screening in the Netherlands will take place in the future.
The Public Health Services (PHSs) implemented the screening and STI AIDS Netherlands is coordinating the programme. The Centre of Infectious Diseases Control of the RIVM, in collaboration with the PHSs and STI AIDS Netherlands, is responsible for the evaluation.
Remote sensing of sulphur dioxide emission by ships
30 March 2009
RIVM developed an instrument to measure sulphur dioxide emissions of sea-going vessels. In a five-day pilot study, the emissions of 24 ships on the Westerscheldt estuary were determined. As it turned out, a large number of those ships emitted huge quantities of sulphur dioxide.
Sulphur dioxide is a source of acidification and is harmful to the environment. Various measures have driven back emissions from other sources, such as traffic, industry and electricity generation. This causes the share of shipping in the total of the emissions to increase.
Illegal weight-loss products identified in the Netherlands have become increasingly dangerous from 2002-2007. Analyses showed increasing numbers of counterfeit medicines and of dietary supplements adulterated with drug substances. In addition, herbal ingredients that were banned for safety concerns are being replaced by pharmaceutical drugs. Unknowing use of these products may lead to psychosis, cardiovascular problems and even to death.
“Novel foods” have not been consumed to a significant degree in the EU prior to May 1997. Therefore their safety needs to be assessed. A scientific paper was published today in which a “grey area” of foods was identified that are not considered novel, because of too much space for interpretations. EU Regulation 258/97 is currently being updated.
Europe-wide increase of antibiotic resistance in E. Coli
8 December 2008
The annual report 2007 of the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS) draws a dire picture of the latest development in antibiotic resistance in Europe. A disturbing development is the Europe-wide increase of resistance of Escherichia colito antibiotics commonly used for treatment.
MRSA is still an increasing problem all over Europe, and it continues to spread in a number of low endemic countries. On the other hand in the high endemic countries some countries seem to have stabilized MRSA proportions and more important, more countries compared with previous years, showed a significant decrease.
The annual meeting of IANPHI is being held at RIVM from 12 to15 October 2008. IANPHI is an association of international public health institutes and a catalyst for developing and promoting institutes like RIVM. The meeting will discuss such matters as disease monitoring and strategic planning.
A major international exercise called Triplex was held in Norway and Sweden from 13 to 19 September. The Dutch Environmental Assessment Module (EAM) took part.
Artificial organs are medical devices or cell/tissue-based products intended to support, repair or replace diseased or failing organ systems. Although many technologies are under development, relatively few are already applied to patients. An RIVM report providing a comprehensive overview of these products was published today.
Natural and environmental disasters can occur anywhere, and they cannot always be prevented. In the aftermath, it is essential to assess the consequences as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. That is why the Netherlands has developed the Environmental Assessment Module (EAM). It will be ready for use as of 1 September 2008.
The risk of further spreading of the Marburg virus in the Netherlands has come to an end. On 11 July 2008, a Dutch woman died of Marburg haemorrhagic fever, a serious illness caused by the Marburg virus. None of the people who came into contact with the patient during the infectious period have been infected with the Marburg virus.
During a holiday in Uganda, a Dutch woman was infected with the Marburg virus, which causes Marburg haemorrhagic fever. This is a very serious, very rare infectious disease. The chance of the virus spreading through the Netherlands is very small. So far, no symptoms have been reported by people who have been in contact with the patient.
The documentary 'Polio, a feared childhood disease' was commissioned under the authority
On April 14th, 2010, the Chinese translation of the book “Risk Assessment of Chemicals: an Introduction” was presented by Mr. v.d. Vlist, to H. E. Ambassador Zhang Jun of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Mr. v.d. Vlist is Secretary-General of the Directorate General for Environmental Protection of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM).
