Four people in Denmark have been infected with TBE (Tick Borne Encephalitis) over the summer, according to Statens Serum Institut.
The area of Denmark most commonly associated with TBE is Bornholm, but there have been no cases stemming from the island so far this summer.
Instead, the institute believe three were infected in Tisvilde Hegn in North Zealand and one in Falster – clear signs the virus is spreading across Denmark.
Vaccine available
The infected people are aged 40 to 76 years and all have been hospitalised.
Some patients can suffer permanent mental or neurological damage, according to SSI.
Accordingly the institution encourages vaccination against the disease for those who regularly move away from paths through the woods, such as forest workers, hunters, orienteering runners, and mushroom and berry pickers.
Foreign food suspected as cause of outbreaks
A total of 48 people in Denmark have become sick as a result of imported foods, suspects the Statens Serum Institut. It believes that separate outbreaks of salmonella and hepatitis A virus are the result of holiday-makers returning with food carrying the diseases. The contagious disease hepatitis A tends to cause yellowish skin and hospitalise 80 percent of those who get it. SSI encourages anyone with foreign food to follow the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration’s advice on good kitchen hygiene.
Thieves targeting GPS equipment used by farm machinery
In August alone, GPS equipment from a total of 23 tractors was stolen, according to the police. The authorities believe the criminals are selling the equipment on the black market. According to the police, the equipment is worth several million kroner.
Salling Group to launch delivery service
The supermarket conglomerate Salling Group, the owner of Netto, Føtex and Bilka, is launching an online platform where over 10,000 grocery items can be delivered to people’s homes, reports Børsen. Initially vegetables, fish and meat will be available for door-to-door delivery within Greater Copenhagen, expanding to large parts of the country in the long run. As part of the plan, the group expects to hire up to 400 new employees. Its rival Coop already offers an online supermarket service.
Four Danish men have been arrested in connection with illegal film distribution, according to the Public Prosecutor for Special Economic and International Crime (Søik). The major international case involves authorities from 19 countries, including Denmark. The criminal organisation has allegedly obtained access to movies and series before their release dates. Søik expects it has cost the industry more than 60 million kroner. The four have been charged with particularly serious copyright infringement.
