New Peak of 141 per 100,000 Children with Pneumonia in Week 49: Nivel Sentinel Network Data Shows Alarming Trend

The decline in the number of children visiting the GP with pneumonia, which started in week 48 (27 Nov – 3 Dec), did not continue last week. In fact, in week 49 we see a new peak of 141 per 100,000 children aged 5-14 years and 111 per 100,000 children aged 0-4 years with pneumonia.

To gain a better understanding of the cause of pneumonia, general practitioners who participate in the Nivel Sentinel Network take additional throat and nose samples from children aged 0-14 years with pneumonia. These samples are sent to the RIVM, where the laboratory examines which viruses and bacteria they contain.

Nivel continuously monitors the occurrence of (infectious) diseases in the Netherlands and has a national signaling function for VWS and the RIVM. Every Wednesday afternoon we report the current weekly disease figures on our website. Explaining the reported figures requires further research, which we do not offer on a weekly basis.

Nivel figures for pneumonia week 49 (4-10 December) 2023: what stands out?

• The number of children aged 5-14 years with pneumonia has increased from 117 to 141 per 100,000 children.
• The number of young people (15-24 years) with pneumonia has increased from 38 to 43 per 100,000.
• There was a decrease in the age group 0-4 years, from 116 in week 48 to 111 in week 49.
• Relatively speaking, pneumonia is most common in older adults, as in previous years. In week 49, the number of patients aged 65 years or older with pneumonia was comparable to the previous week.
• Since week 31 (early August), more patients with pneumonia have been visiting their GP than in previous years, including the years before the corona pandemic.

More current weekly figures for pneumonia and other diseases in pictures

• All weekly pneumonia figures (all age groups, pneumonia throughout the years): open the Nivel Surveillance Bulletin wk 49 at section 2.7 Pneumonia.
• What is currently prevailing in the Netherlands? Pneumonia, whooping cough, flu, scabies, something else: go to Current disease figures per week for the online summary with the most striking findings, or go to:
• An up-to-date overview of all identified conditions: open the Nivel Surveillance Bulletin wk 49, go to a disease via the table of contents (at the front, after the summary).
• Learn everything about flu (flu figures, flu season, flu epidemic, FAQs and more): go to Flu Central.
• Results of Nivel research with (among others) Nivel figures on diseases: go to Publications – using figures from Nivel Primary Care Registers.

2023-12-15 18:53:26
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