Communicable disease threats report, 27 October - 2 November 2013, week 44
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
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. Of note in this week’s report are:
Seasonal influenza
All 27 countries reporting to ECDC are experiencing a low intensity of clinical influenza activity.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)
Three additional cases of MERS-CoV have been reported from Saudi Arabia from the Eastern Region and the first case has been recorded in Oman.
Outbreak of poliomyelitis, Syria
Following reports of a cluster of 22 acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases on 17 October 2013 in the Syrian Arab Republic, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been confirmed from ten of the cases under investigation.
Wound botulism in people who inject drugs (PWID), Norway
Norway has reported two confirmed and four suspected cases of wound botulism in PWID. This is the largest outbreak of wound botulism ever identified in Norway.
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