ECDC has a mandate to foster the development of sufficient capacity for diagnosis, detection, identification and characterization of infectious agents which may threaten public health. To achieve this, ECDC shall collect, collate, evaluate and disseminate relevant scientific and technical data, including data on molecular surveillance.

Molecular typing or microbial DNA fingerprinting has developed rapidly since 1990. Many typing methods, like PCR techniques and sequencing have become increasingly part of routine strain characterization in many national reference level laboratories. Molecular typing provides essential discriminatory tools for different surveillance purposes, e.g. monitoring spread of clones and strains, early detection of dispersed international outbreaks, and prediction of epidemic potential.

As appropriate typing methods for surveillance purposes vary remarkably by pathogens, it is necessary to establish agreed procedures to develop molecular surveillance at the EU level. ECDC has started the preparations for integrating molecular typing data to EU wide surveillance by having a brain storm meeting with molecular typing experts in July 2007.

Based on the outcome of this meeting, a concept paper on how to integrate molecular data to EU level surveillance was prepared in 2008. This concept paper follows the principles of the general framework for ECDC cooperation with microbiology laboratories and research institutes (general laboratory strategy), which addresses networking with national laboratories to promote and lead the development of standardised sub-typing schemes for microbiological data required for surveillance purposes.

A feasibility study of establishing an ECDC-based molecular surveillance network was concluded in 2010. Currently, discussions of strategic options for organisation of molecular surveillance and implementation options for the molecular surveillance system are ongoing.

The following activities are currently on-going:

• Project “Molecular typing in surveillance and control of MRSA in hospitals and the community” 
• Call for tender “Validation and support of implementation of MLVA for S. Typhimurium“
• Call for tender: “Supporting capacity building for surveillance of Clostridium difficile infections at European level”

In addition we have in the following laboratory contracts also molecular surveillance integrated: Gonococci, influenza, MDR-TB, Legionella, Diphtheria, meningococci.