The number of enteral infections, which mainly cause gastrointestinal complaints, was higher in 2022 than in the previous 2 years. Nevertheless, the total number of infections is still lower than before the corona pandemic, RIVM reports.
The number of sick reports with known pathogens such as Salmonella or Campylobacter rose last year after a dip in the number of reports during the corona years, but not yet to the numbers before the pandemic. The number of people who suffered from a norovirus infection was again as high as in 2020.
Listeria, rotavirus and E. coli higher than normal
The number of people who became ill from the Listeria bacteria also rose above the number before the corona pandemic. The number of reports of this pathogen has not decreased in the past 2 years. This is probably because infections with this bacterium almost always occur via very common food products such as meat products, and infections in the elderly are often very serious and thus do not go unnoticed. The number of people with a rotavirus infection also increased. Researchers suspect that this is because the disease has hardly occurred in the past 2 years and fewer people have built up a defense against it. Finally, the number of infections with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) also increased sharply. In 2022, this number was the highest since 2016. The cause for this is not clear.
Remarkable
The most striking outbreak in 2022 was that 72 people contracted typhoid fever (Salmonella Typhi) on a ship in the Netherlands where asylum seekers were received. Pretty sure they were contaminated through the ship’s drinking water supply. It was rusted and was lying against the sewer pipes.
Gastrointestinal complaints
Enteral infections can be caused by various bacteria, parasites and viruses. These infections usually cause gastrointestinal complaints, such as vomiting, abdominal pain and/or (bloody) diarrhoea. Sometimes it can be more serious complaints such as hepatitis, blood poisoning or rarely meningitis.
Some of the pathogens are transmitted to humans through direct contact with animals or their faeces. But this also often happens through contaminated food or through the environment (soil, air or surface water). They can also be passed from person to person.
By: National Care Guide
2023-09-07 06:00:00
#gastrointestinal #complaints #corona #pandemic
