Dutch doctors treated a total of 22,000 people with Lyme disease last year, an increase of 5,000 on 2005, according to public health institute RIVM.

Lyme disease was relatively unknown in the Netherlands in the 1980s.
Early symptoms may include fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and a circular skin rash. If it is left untreated, Lyme can affect the joints, heart, and central nervous system and lead to permanent disability.
The RIVM says May to August is the peak period for being bitten by ticks carrying Lyme. Research shows one in five ticks is infected with the Borrelia bacteria.