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COVID-19 outbreaks among crew on commercial ships at the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 2020 to 2021.
No full textSeroprevalence and Risk Factors of Lyme Borreliosis in The Netherlands: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.
No full textLyme borreliosis (LB) is not notifiable in many European countries, and accurate data on the incidence are often lacking. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.)-specific antibodies in the general population of The Netherlands, and to determine risk factors associated with seropositivity. Sera and questionnaires were obtained from participants (n = 5592, aged 0-88 years) enrolled in a nationwide serosurveillance study. The sera were tested for B. burgdorferi s.l.-specific IgM and IgG antibodies using ELISA and immunoblot. Seroprevalence was estimated controlling for the survey design. Risk factors for seropositivity were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed-effect model. In 2016/2017, the seroprevalence in The Netherlands was 4.4% (95% CI 3.5-5.2). Estimates were higher in men (5.7% [95% CI 4.4-7.2]) than in women (3.1% [95% CI 2.0-4.0]), and increased with age from 2.6% (95% CI 1.4-4.4) in children to 7.7% (95% CI 5.9-7.9) in 60- to 88-year-olds. The seroprevalence for B. burgdorferi s.l. in the general population in The Netherlands was comparable to rates reported in European countries. The main risk factors for seropositivity were increasing age, being male and the tick bite frequency. The dynamics of LB infection are complex and involve variables from various disciplines. This could be further elucidated using infectious disease modelling
Identification of Francisella tularensis Subspecies in a Clinical Setting Using MALDI-TOF MS: An In-House Francisella Library and Biomarkers.
No full textFrancisella tularensis is a zoonotic bacterium that is endemic in large parts of the world. It is absent in the standard library of the most applied matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) systems: the Vitek MS and the Bruker Biotyper system. The additional Bruker MALDI Biotyper Security library contains F. tularensis without subspecies differentiation. The virulence of F. tularensis differs between the subspecies. The F. tularensis subspecies (ssp.) tularensis is highly pathogenic, whereas the subspecies holarctica displays lower virulence and subspecies novicida and F. tularensis ssp. mediasiatica are hardly virulent. To differentiate the Francisellaceae and the F. tularensis-subspecies, an in-house Francisella library was built with the Bruker Biotyper system and validated together with the existing Bruker databases. In addition, specific biomarkers were defined based on the main spectra of the Francisella strains supplemented with in silico genome data. Our in-house Francisella library accurately differentiates the F. tularensis subspecies and the other Francisellaceae. The biomarkers correctly differentiate the various species within the genus Francisella and the F. tularensis subspecies. These MALDI-TOF MS strategies can successfully be applied in a clinical laboratory setting as a fast and specific method to identify F. tularensis to subspecies level
Get on your bike or take public transport! Moving toward healthier, more sustainable short commutes
No full textIn 2022 ging 44 procent van de mensen die op minder dan 7,5 kilometer van hun werk woont, met de auto daarnaar toe. Maar het is beter voor de gezondheid, het milieu en het klimaat als mensen minder met de auto reizen en zich actief naar hun werk verplaatsen. Bijvoorbeeld op de fiets, lopend en/of met het openbaar vervoer. Het RIVM onderzocht op basis van gedragspsychologie waarom mensen voor een bepaald vervoersmiddel kiezen. Ook heeft het RIVM onderzocht welke maatregelen, zowel vanuit de overheid als van werkgevers, werkenden stimuleren om op een actieve manier naar het werk te gaan. Dit onderzoek is gedaan in opdracht van het ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat (IenW(Infrastructuur en Waterstaat)). Om reisgedrag te veranderen, is het belangrijk actieve manieren van reizen te stimuleren en tegelijkertijd het autogebruik minder aantrekkelijk te maken. Het is van belang dat zowel de overheid als werkgevers een mix van maatregelen inzetten. Deze maatregelen moeten niet alleen voor meer kennis en bewustzijn zorgen, maar ook voor een omgeving waarin mensen voor de actieve vervoerswijzen kunnen kiezen. Dat kan bijvoorbeeld door deze het gemakkelijkst en best betaalbaar te maken. Verder is de timing van maatregelen heel belangrijk, namelijk op momenten dat mensen gewoonten aanleren. Bijvoorbeeld als zij beginnen met een nieuwe baan of gaan verhuizen. Reisgedrag is namelijk routinematig gewoontegedrag dat lastig te veranderen is als het eenmaal is gevormd. De overheid kan bijvoorbeeld ervoor zorgen dat duurzaam vervoersbeleid op orde is, met goed bereikbaar OV(openbaar vervoer), en goede, veilige en prettige fiets- en wandelpaden. Verder is het belangrijk dat de overheid werknemers overzichtelijke informatie geeft over reiskosten en reistijden van alternatieve vervoersvormen. Daarnaast kan de overheid werkgevers via wet- en regelgeving en een digitaal informatiepunt faciliteren en stimuleren om een duurzaam mobiliteitsbeleid te voeren. Ook is meer kennis nodig over regelingen en vergoedingen voor actieve vervoerswijzen, zowel onder werkgevers als werknemers. Verder kunnen werkgevers ontmoedigen dat werknemers met de auto komen, bijvoorbeeld via parkeerbeleid. En ze kunnen zorgen voor voldoende vergoedingen en voorzieningen voor actieve vervoerswijzen en hun werknemers hierover informeren.In 2022, 44% of Dutch people who live less than 7.5 kilometres from their work commuted by car. But it would be better for their health, the environment and the climate if people drove less and opted for a more active way of getting to work. Examples are taking public transport, cycling and/or walking. RIVM investigated why people chose a particular means of transport, using insights from behavioural psychology. It also explored which measures, from both the government and employers, could encourage workers to choose an active way of commuting. This study was commissioned by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. In order to change travel behaviour, it is vital to encourage active means of transport while at the same time making the car a less attractive option. It is important that both the government and employers use a mix of measures. In addition to increasing knowledge and awareness, these measures should also create conditions in which people are more tempted to choose an active means of transport. One way to do this is to make active means the easiest and most affordable option. The timing of measures is crucial as well, with priority given to moments when people are forming new habits. Examples are when they start a new job or move to a new home. This is because travel behaviour is a matter of habit and routine. Once formed, habits are difficult to change. For instance, the government could implement a sustainable travel policy, with broad access to public transport and good, safe and pleasant paths for cyclists and pedestrians. It is also important that the government provide employees with clearly laid out information on costs and travel times associated with alternative means of transport. The government could additionally enact laws and regulations and provide a digital information point to facilitate and encourage employers to adopt sustainable mobility policies. Employers and employees alike could benefit from more knowledge concerning schemes and allowances for active means of transport. Finally, employers could also discourage their employees from driving to work, for instance through their parking policy. At the same time, they could provide generous allowances and facilities for active means of transport and inform their employees of these options
Placental-fetal distribution of carbon particles in a pregnant rabbit model after repeated exposure to diluted diesel engine exhaust.
No full textAirborne pollution particles have been shown to translocate from the mother's lung to the fetal circulation, but their distribution and internal placental-fetal tissue load remain poorly explored. Here, we investigated the placental-fetal load and distribution of diesel engine exhaust particles during gestation under controlled exposure conditions using a pregnant rabbit model. Pregnant dams were exposed by nose-only inhalation to either clean air (controls) or diluted and filtered diesel engine exhaust (1 mg/m3) for 2 h/day, 5 days/week, from gestational day (GD) 3 to GD27. At GD28, placental and fetal tissues (i.e., heart, kidney, liver, lung and gonads) were collected for biometry and to study the presence of carbon particles (CPs) using white light generation by carbonaceous particles under femtosecond pulsed laser illumination
16S rRNA-Based Microbiota Profiling Assists Conventional Culture Analysis of Airway Samples from Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Patients.
No full text16S-based sequencing provides broader information on the respiratory microbial community than conventional culturing. However, it (often) lacks species- and strain-level information. To overcome this issue, we used 16S rRNA-based sequencing results from 246 nasopharyngeal samples obtained from 20 infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) and 43 healthy infants, which were all 0 to 6 months old, and compared them to both standard (blind) diagnostic culturing and a 16S-sequencing-informed "targeted" reculturing approach. Using routine culturing, we almost uniquely detected Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Haemophilus influenzae (42%, 38%, and 33% of samples, respectively). Using the targeted reculturing approach, we were able to reculture 47% of the top-5 operational taxonomical units (OTUs) in the sequencing profiles. In total, we identified 60 species from 30 genera with a median of 3 species per sample (range, 1 to 8). We also identified up to 10 species per identified genus. The success of reculturing the top-5 genera present from the sequencing profile depended on the genus. In the case of Corynebacterium being in the top 5, we recultured them in 79% of samples, whereas for Staphylococcus, this value was only 25%. The success of reculturing was also correlated with the relative abundance of those genera in the corresponding sequencing profile. In conclusion, revisiting samples using 16S-based sequencing profiles to guide a targeted culturing approach led to the detection of more potential pathogens per sample than conventional culturing and may therefore be useful in the identification and, consequently, treatment of bacteria considered relevant for the deterioration or exacerbation of disease in patients like those with CF. IMPORTANCE Early and effective treatment of pulmonary infections in cystic fibrosis is vital to prevent chronic lung damage. Although microbial diagnostics and treatment decisions are still based on conventional culture methods, research is gradually focusing more on microbiome and metagenomic-based approaches. This study compared the results of both methods and proposed a way to combine the best of both worlds. Many species can relatively easily be recultured based on the 16S-based sequencing profile, and it provides more in-depth information about the microbial composition of a sample than that obtained through routine (blind) diagnostic culturing. Still, well-known pathogens can be missed by both routine diagnostic culture methods as well as by targeted reculture methods, sometimes even when they are highly abundant, which may be a consequence of either sample storage conditions or antibiotic treatment at the time of sampling
Evaluation of support made available for the Healthy Schools programme. Round 2021, 2021–2022 school year
No full textGezonde School helpt om een gezonde leefstijl op scholen in Nederland vanzelfsprekend te maken. De scholen kiezen zelf aan welk thema zij willen werken. Elk jaar kunnen zij daarvoor ook financiële en praktische begeleiding aanvragen . Dat kan voor de thema’s ‘Bewegen en sport’, ‘Voeding’, ‘Welbevinden’ en ‘Roken, alcohol- en drugspreventie’. Voor het basisonderwijs zijn ook de thema’s ‘Milieu en natuur’ en ‘Fysieke veiligheid’ beschikbaar. Gezonde School is er voor alle scholen in Nederland in het basis, speciaal en voortgezet onderwijs en het middelbaar beroepsonderwijs. Elk jaar kunnen 550 scholen deelnemen aan het ondersteuningsaanbod. Een school krijgt dan 10 uur advies en begeleiding van een Gezonde School-adviseur van de GGD(Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdienst). Daarnaast wordt de school geleerd om te werken aan een gezonde leefstijl op school en in de lessen. Ook is er aandacht voor gezondheid in het schoolbeleid en omgeving van de school. Scholen krijgen hiervoor 3.000,- euro. Het RIVM evalueert elk jaar het ondersteuningsaanbod. Scholen blijken behoefte te hebben aan de financiële en praktische ondersteuning. Ze kunnen daarmee aandacht geven aan de thema’s die zij naast het reguliere onderwijs belangrijk vinden. In het schooljaar 2021-2022 voldeden 517 scholen aan de voorwaarden. Van hen was driekwart een basisschool. De deelnemende scholen kozen het meest voor de thema’s ‘Voeding’, ‘Bewegen en sport’ en ‘Welbevinden’. In het voortgezet onderwijs is vaker gekozen voor het thema ‘Roken, alcohol- en drugspreventie’ in plaats van ‘Bewegen en sport’; in het middelbaar beroepsonderwijs was meer behoefte aan het thema ‘Welbevinden’. Ruim driekwart van de scholen heeft van het budget Gezonde School-activiteiten gekocht, zoals lespakketten. Ruim de helft van de scholen gebruikte het voor de personeelskosten van degene die de Gezonde School-activiteiten coördineert. Meer dan 70 procent van de scholen heeft aandacht voor het gekozen thema vastgelegd in het beleid van de school. 89 procent van de deelnemende scholen was tevreden of zeer tevreden over het advies en de ondersteuning van de Gezonde School-adviseur van de GGD.The aim of the Healthy Schools programme is to help promote a healthy lifestyle as self-evident in Dutch schools. Schools are free to decide for themselves which theme to work on. To help them with this, they can apply for financial and practical support each year. The themes covered by the programme are ‘Exercise and sport’, ‘Nutrition’, ‘Well-being’ and ‘Smoking, alcohol and drug prevention’. Primary schools can work with the themes ‘Environment and nature’ and ‘Physical safety’ as well. Healthy Schools is available for all Dutch schools in primary, special, secondary and secondary vocational education. The programme accepts applications for support from 550 schools each year. Schools that submit a successful application receive 10 hours of advice and support from a Healthy Schools adviser employed by the Municipal Public Health Service (GGD). In addition, schools receive training on how to encourage a healthy lifestyle at school and in class. Attention is also paid to promoting health in the school’s policies and surroundings. Each school is allocated a budget of 3,000 euros for this. RIVM evaluates the support offer on an annual basis. This has revealed that schools need the aforementioned financial and practical support, as it allows them to teach pupils about themes that matter to the schools in addition to the regular curriculum. At the end of the 2021–2022 school year, 517 of the 550 schools met alle the conditions of the support offer. Three-quarters of these were primary schools. The most popular themes among participating schools were ‘Nutrition’, ‘Exercise and sport’ and ‘Well-being’. Secondary schools often preferred ‘Smoking, alcohol and drug prevention’ over ‘Exercise and sport’, whereas secondary vocational education institutions were more likely to opt for ‘Well-being’. More than three-quarters of the schools used the budget to procure Healthy Schools activities, such as teaching packages. More than half of the schools used it to pay a salary to the person coordinating the Healthy Schools activities. More than 70 per cent of schools incorporated the chosen theme into school policy. Of the participating schools, 89 per cent were either satisfied or very satisfied with the advice and support they received from the GGD’s Healthy Schools adviser
Application of human biomonitoring data to support policy development, raise awareness and environmental public health protection among countries within the HBM4EU project.
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