rise

Dutch healthcare institute Nivel has reported a significant rise in childhood impetigo cases, with GP visits tracking well above rates from previous years. Health experts link the highly contagious bacterial skin infection to recent summer heatwaves, which allow the bacteria to spread rapidly during outdoor play. While weekly cases dropped slightly in the latest reporting period, overall numbers remain elevated across the country.

According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), Dutch factory gate prices jumped 4.9 per cent year-on-year in April, up from a 1.4 per cent increase in March, driven by soaring oil prices triggered by the conflict in the Middle East. This sharp turnaround follows four months of falling prices, with North Sea Brent crude now costing 47 per cent more than it did last year. The surge has hit energy-intensive sectors hardest—sending petroleum product prices up 48.8 per cent and chemical prices up 11.6 per cent—and raises concerns that inflation will rise as manufacturers pass these higher costs on to consumers.

The Dutch LID has warned that animal neglect cases are becoming increasingly severe, particularly involving domestic pets and livestock in public parks. Despite a slight dip in the total volume of complaints, the number of animals requiring emergency intervention is rising. Veterinary reports have also tripled, suggesting that both professionals and the public are becoming more vigilant.

A new report highlights a sharp increase in AI-generated child abuse imagery and a rise in content created by children themselves. Expertise centre Offlimits processed record volumes of data last year to secure the removal of illegal material from the public internet.