Longest ever recorded flu epidemic measured in 2015 The most notable infectious disease outbreak in 2015 was the flu epidemic in the winter of 2014-2015, which at 21 weeks was the longest ever recorded in the Netherlands.
First patient infected by tick-borne encephalitis virus For the first time, a person in the Netherlands has fallen ill after a bite from a tick carrying the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBE virus).
Livestock farming affects pulmonary function in local residents COPD patients living near livestock farms suffer more complications.
Nicoline Tamsma re-elected as EuroHealthNet president Nicoline Tamsma has been elected to serve a new two-year term as EuroHealthNet president. EuroHealthNet is a European network organisation of public health and health promotion institutes.
Bacteria slightly more often resistant to last resort antibiotics Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem. In the Netherlands, some bacteria that can cause infections in people are more frequently resistant to antibiotics used as a last resort.
RIVM and German BfR enter cooperation agreement on animal protection and food safety The German Federal Institute of Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, RIVM have signed a cooperation agreement, focused on developing new sci
Citizen science network produces accurate maps of fine air particles Measurements by thousands of citizen scientists in the Netherlands using their smartphones and the iSPEX add-on are delivering accurate data on fine air particles in the atmosphere that add valuabl
Sustainability of EU regulatory system on medicinal products In safeguarding the quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal products, the present EU regulatory system has become a time consuming and highly regulated process.
Jaap van Dissel appointed as Director of the RIVM Centre for Infectious Disease Control Prof Jaap van Dissel is appointed as Director of the RIVM Centre for Infectious Disease Control. He takes up the post on 15 August and succeeds Prof.
Extra measles vaccinations for risk groups Some areas of the Netherlands where families for religious reasons chose not to get their babies vaccinated are now reporting cases of measles, and it is expected that the number of cases will incr