Fewer TB patients in the Netherlands The key figures of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) show that in 2017, the number of TB patients in the Netherlands fell below 800 TB patients for the first time
Hormone-disrupting effect methyl-, ethyl- and propylparaben still unclear RIVM has conducted literature research into the hormone-disrupting effects of the three most commonly used parabens (methyl-, ethyl- and propylparaben) and the exposure of consumers to these substa
Legislation on maximum permitted amount of synephrine in food supplements is desirable Harmful health effects of dietary supplements with high levels of synephrine, which are used to lose weight or improve sports performance, cannot be excluded.
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.
RIVM develops a framework for a broader view of establishing food safety standards In Europe, strict requirements apply to food safety. Food safety standards are determined at international level.
Risk of measles outbreaks increases with decreasing vaccination coverage Vaccination coverage for vaccinations in the Dutch National Vaccination Program (NIP) decreased slightly by about half a percent for the third consecutive year.
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).
More gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia at Dutch STI clinics An increasing number of clients tested at a Dutch STI clinic for a sexually transmitted infection (STI) is diagnosed with gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia.
RIVM recommends hepatitis A vaccination for gay men There is a large international outbreak currently of hepatitis A, mostly among gay and bisexual men. In several European countries more than 1,000 patients have been reported.
Pneumonia occurs more often near livestock farms People who live near poultry farms and goat farms suffer from pneumonia more often. In the area surveyed, every year about 1650 people per 100,000 residents get pneumonia.