RIVM and Wageningen University researchers expect the tick bite season to reach its peak in the next few weeks. The peak will coincide with the start of the summer holidays.

Essure is an implant used for female sterilisation. Like many other implants, such as hip implants and stents, this implant is made of metal. It is normal for such implants to release metal particles. Essure is a small implant.

The Dutch Reporting Centre for Adverse Effects of Medical Implants (MEBI), which is part of RIVM, has received a report about Rebound HRD® (Hernia Repair Device), an inguinal hernia mesh.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

After recording 80,000 tick bites in 10 years via Tekenradar.nl, we now know that you are most likely to be bitten by a tick in Drenthe. Quickly removing the tick halves the chance of contracting Lyme disease.