295 reports of suspected side effects of implants in 2023 In 2023, 295 individuals reported one or more suspected side effects of implants to RIVM’s Dutch Reporting Centre for Adverse Effects of Medical Implants (MEBI).
Remove ticks quickly, reduce your risk of Lyme disease Ticks are active again, as shown by the increase in tick bite reports on Tekenradar.nl. Quick action is important: the faster you remove a tick after it bites you, the lower your risk of contracting Lyme disease.
Growth of digital healthcare stabilised in 2023 The growth in the use of digital healthcare tools by care providers stabilised in 2023. This was mainly because most care providers were already using particular digital tools in 2022, such as the patient portal – on which patients can view the outcomes of examinations – and e-consultations (digital written contact with doctors).
RIVM European Reference Lab for vector-borne infections The European Commission (EC) has designated RIVM as the current European Reference Lab (EURL) for vector-borne viral pathogens.
Predicting who will experience symptoms after Lyme disease remains challenging Each year, approximately 27,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease. For most, the symptoms disappear after treatment with antibiotics. Unfortunately, 25% of those treated have chronic symptoms, such as fatigue, concentration disorders or pain.
New Zoonoses Report out now: avian flu most notable outbreak in 2022 Throughout 2022, the Netherlands faced a persistent avian flu outbreak, affecting 76 poultry farms. The virus also infected numerous wild birds and various wild mammals. These findings are presented in the Zoonoses Report, an annual publication issued jointly by RIVM and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
Metabolic disorder ALD added to newborn blood spot screening Since 1 October, the metabolic disorder adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) has been added to the Dutch newborn blood spot screening. From now on, the blood of newborn boys will also be tested for this disorder. ALD in boys can be treated if it is detected in time.
Number of Lyme disease diagnoses remains high In 2021, the number of Lyme disease diagnoses with a red ring or rash– known as an erythema migrans, or EM – remained as high as in the previous survey in 2017. GPs diagnosed 25,600 patients with a red ring or rash caused by the Lyme bacteria.
Smokers inhale more tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide when measured with WHO method RIVM has measured the amount of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide (TNCO) in all filter cigarettes sold in the Netherlands with the WHO Intense method.
MEBI: 193 reports of suspected side effects of implants in 2022 In 2022, 193 individuals reported suspected side effects of implants to RIVM’s Dutch Reporting Centre for Adverse Effects of Medical Implants (MEBI). Most reports received concerned breast implants, copper IUDs and wrinkle fillers. This is highlighted in MEBI’s annual report.