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.
Dutch population’s salt and sugar intakes go down, fibre intake goes up On average, the sugar and salt intakes of the Dutch population have gone down, while its fibre intake has gone up. This is apparent from the latest Dutch National Food Consumption Survey (Voedselconsumptiepeiling, VCP) figures.
New version of NEVO with updated data on meat and dairy substitutes Today, RIVM will publish the new version of the Dutch Food Composition Database (Nederlands Voedingsstoffenbestand, NEVO). This contains information on the composition of more than 2,300 foods.
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.
Improper use of methylphenidate Students sometimes use ADHD medicines that have not been prescribed to them in order to study more effectively. It is suspected that they obtain these medicines from other people, who do have a prescription. Sewage research conducted by RIVM supports this theory.
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.
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.
Fewer reports of tick bites in 2022 In 2022, the reported number of tick bites in the Netherlands fell by a third compared to previous years. In order to find a satisfactory explanation for such differences, researchers at WUR and RIVM have initiated a large-scale study via Tekenradar.nl. This will give them more insights into the 1.5 million tick bites in the Netherlands every year.
No new SARS-CoV-2 variants discovered in wastewater on aircraft from China Wastewater on aircraft from China has not been found to contain any new variants of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 so far. These findings are from several tests performed by RIVM. However, the wastewater was found to contain coronavirus particles.