Influenza-like Illness Incidence Is Not Reduced by Influenza Vaccination Influenza vaccination reduces the number of influenza virus infections but not the overall number of illness.
Meningococcal immunisation recommendations re-examined Meningococcal disease is a very serious infectious disease that can cause meningitis or blood poisoning. Children are immunised against meningococcal serogroup C at 14 months.
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.
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).
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.
Concerns over whooping cough despite modifications to vaccination programme Modifications to the National Immunisation Programme have led to fewer cases of whooping cough among children.
No new MERS patients in the Netherlands Almost two months ago, two Dutch people were diagnosed with the MERS coronavirus.
International study finds MERS coronavirus in raw dromedary camel milk Milk from dromedary camels infected with the MERS coronavirus may contain the virus, and consuming this raw milk may thus pose a risk to public health.
Clinical condition Dutch MERS patients improving The two patients who were diagnosed last week with the MERS coronavirus are now on the mend.