Moderate flu season Last winter season, the duration and severity of the influenza epidemic was moderate compared to previous years.
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).
Lab tests alone not conclusive for diagnosis of Lyme disease Lyme disease can cause a variety of complaints in patients. Laboratory tests for the disease can support medical practitioners in making a diagnosis but are not necessarily conclusive.
WHO’s first ever global estimates of foodborne diseases: children under five account for almost one third of deaths Almost one third (30%) of all deaths from foodborne diseases are in children under the age of five years, despite the fact that they make up only 9% of the global population.
Flu season in the winter of 2014 / 2015 more severe and longer than preceding years The flu epidemic in the winter of 2014 / 2015 lasted 21 weeks and as such was the longest epidemic ever recorded in the Netherlands. Nearly two million people suffered from flu-like symptoms.
Major loss of healthy life years due to long-term complaints after Lyme disease The Netherlands is the first country where the burden of disease due to Lyme disease has been determined.
RIVM seeks dialogue with Industry for safe and green chemistry RIVM would like to explore possibilities to eliminate obstacles during innovation of green chemistry with industry.
Half of the Dutch participate in sport weekly In 2014, 53% of people between the ages of 12 and 80 in the Netherlands participate in some type of sport weekly.
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
Biobased alternatives to hormone disrupting substance in cash register receipts Chemicals made from vegetable or animal waste may be an alternative to the use of the substance Bisphenol A (BPA) in thermal paper. Thermal paper is widely used for cash register receipts.