Limited consideration of combination effects of hazardous substances when granting SVHC permits The harmful effect of a combination of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs or Zeer Zorgwekkende Stoffen, ZZS)) may be greater than the effect of each individual substance.
New test for Lyme disease is not reliable To determine whether someone has Lyme disease, doctors in the Netherlands often use antibody tests. For some time now, so-called cellular tests have been available on the market.
Many more infections, limited increase in hospital admissions In the past week, the number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the Netherlands increased by 64% compared to the week before that.
Current knowledge on microplastics in the soil is still inadequate A literature review carried out by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has concluded that reliable standard techniques should be developed to analyse microplastics in the soil.
New crisis response organisation at RIVM to control future pandemics The cabinet has agreed to the proposal of Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, to set up a National Functionality for Infectious Disease Control (LFI).
Flu vaccination also available for pregnant women as of this autumn Every year, people aged 60+ and people with certain medical conditions can get the free flu vaccination. On the recommendation of the Health Council of the Netherlands, the free flu vaccination will now also be made available to pregnant women.
Long-term disruption of day/night rhythms increases risk of breast cancer and leads to gain in bodyweight Long-term disruption of day/night rhythms leads to an increase in breast cancer risk and bodyweight in mice susceptible to breast cancer.
High number of tick bites expected this summer It is expected that over the coming month, around half a million people will be bitten by a tick. Last month, considerably more tick bites have been reported compared to previous years.
Gardner Middlebrook Award 2015 to Dick van Soolingen RIVM congratulates Professor Dick van Soolingen, who was presented the highly coveted Gardner Middlebrook Award.
Annual report RIVM 2014 online In our annual report, we look back at compelling RIVM projects and research in 2014.