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ANP Productions | Source: ANP
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Bilthoven
The number of people with tuberculosis (TB) in the Netherlands rose last year, RIVM reports. In total there were 680 TB patients, 9 percent more than in 2020.
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According to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, more than three quarters of these patients come from other countries, where tuberculosis is common. Most TB patients come from Eritrea (65), followed by Morocco (51) and India (50).
During the corona pandemic in 2020, the number of TB reports in the Netherlands fell sharply. “The lower influx of migrants, the reduced spread of the tuberculosis bacteria and delayed care probably played a role here,” according to RIVM.
Tuberculosis, an infectious disease caused by bacteria, is usually treatable with antibiotics. Last year, the disease was found in more than one in ten of the patients by actively researching high-risk groups such as immigrants and asylum seekers.
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