Moderate flu season Last winter season, the duration and severity of the influenza epidemic was moderate compared to previous years.
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.
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.
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.
The MERS-coronavirus in the Netherlands As of 13 May 2014, RIVM and Erasmus MC have diagnosed the MERS coronavirus in two Dutch people. The patients are related and were infected during a joint journey to Saudi Arabia.
Signs of MERS coronavirus found in dromedary camels Researchers searching for signs of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in different livestock animals have found antibodies specific to the new virus in dromedary camels.