Communicable disease threats report, 22-28 February 2015, week 9

Surveillance and monitoring
Publication series: Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR)
Time period covered: 22 - 28 February 2015

​The ECDC communicable disease threats report is a weekly bulletin intended for epidemiologists and health professionals in the area of communicable disease prevention and control. Summarising information gathered by ECDC through its epidemic intelligence activities regarding communicable disease threats of concern to the European Union, it also provides updates on the global situation and changes in the epidemiology of communicable diseases with potential to affect Europe, including diseases that are the focus of eradication efforts.

Executive summary

Ebola outbreak - West Africa

As of 24 February, WHO reported 23 816 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) related to the outbreak in West Africa, including 9 652 deaths. Ninety-nine new confirmed cases of EVD were reported by WHO in the week up to 22 February in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Unsafe burials continued in Guinea and Sierra Leone, where part of the cases were detected post mortem in the community rather than among known contacts of Ebola patients. See latest epidemiological situation.

Seasonal influenza

Influenza activity continues, particularly in western and central countries of the WHO European Region. For week 8/2015, high and medium intensities of influenza activity were reported by 35 countries and nine countries reported increasing ILI/ARI rates. The number and percentage of influenza virus detections in sentinel specimens showed a slight reduction in what might be described as a ‘high plateau’ phase of the influenza season. See the surveillance data for week 8/2015.

Measles

A large measles outbreak is ongoing in Berlin. As of 24 February 2015, media report nearly 600 cases. The outbreak that startedin October 2014 initially affected asylum seekers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia but has now spread to the generalpopulation. On 25 February 2015 , the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe urgently called on policy makers, health care workers and parents to immediately step up vaccination against measles across age group at risk. 

During 2014, eight EU Member States reported measles outbreaks. The target year for measles elimination in Europe is 2015. The current situation suggests that endemic measles transmission continues in many EU Member States and the prospect of achieving the 2015 objective is not feasible. See latest epidemiological data  on measles.

Bornavirus in Germany

On 19 February 2015, Germany reported three cases of fatal encephalitis in residents of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The first clinical case was seen in 2011, the second and the third in 2013 in different hospitals. Germany is investigating tissue and cerebrospinal fluid collections from biobanks for further cases. Previously cryptic cases of encephalitis are re-evaluated in view of the new virus. Breeders are asked to send in deceased animals to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute. ECDC published a rapid risk assessment on 26 February 2015.