More people infected with diseases transmitted by wild rodents

donderdag 5 november 2015 14:00

In 2014, there were more patients in the Netherlands with diseases transmitted by wild rodents than in previous years. This is especially so for leptospirosis, with cases rising from an average of 30 in previous years to 97 cases in 2014, and hantavirus infections increasing from an average of 13 cases to 36 cases in the same period. The reasons for this increase are not clear, but possibly the mild winter and hot summer have played a role. However, as the number of patients is limited, there is no cause for concern. Nevertheless, it is essential to remain alert to diseases transmitted by wild rodents and a study is being carried out on the factors that contribute to the increased incidence, as indicated in the annual Zoonotic Diseases Report prepared by RIVM and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Products Safety (NVWA).