Protection of Defence personnel against health risks of chromium-6 was inadequate From 1984-2006, employees of the Dutch Ministry of Defence were exposed to chromium-6 during maintenance work.
Lyme disease cases have quadrupled According to a survey by RIVM , 27,000 people were infected with Lyme disease in 2017. In 2014, the last time RIVM reported on the incidence of tick-borne disease, this number was 25,000.
Less meat and more tap water benefits health and the environment In the Netherlands, diets with a high environmental impact contain more meat and energy.
Alertness about the Zika virus still needed for pregnant women Since May 2015, there has been a Zika virus outbreak in South and Central America, including the Caribbean. The Zika virus can cause birth defects, including microcephaly (small head size).
Lyme disease costs EUR 20 million annually The societal costs of Lyme disease have been determined for the Netherlands for the first time. The disease appears to cost nearly EUR 20 million each year.
Every year, 300,000 tick bites in urban areas One in 5 tick bites occurs in an urban area. Although most tick bites occur in the countryside, many people are bitten in urban areas as well.
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).
Integrated approach reduces harmful effects of medicines in surface waters Residues of medicinal products, such as painkillers, hormones and antidepressants, are increasingly detected in surface water and drinking water.
Broad approach needed against pharmaceutical residues in environment We can all help to reduce pollution of the environment by pharmaceutical residues.
New Lyme disease study in the Netherlands At the start of the “Tick Awareness Week”, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and Wageningen UR are commencing a large-scale study on the long-term effects of