Communicable disease threats report, 4-10 October 2015, week 41

This issue covers the period 4 to 10 October 2015, and includes updates on Salmonella Stanley, West Nile virus, MERS and Ebola virus disease.

Salmonella Stanley in Austria

As of 8 October 2015, Austria is investigating an increase in the number of S. Stanley cases reported since the beginning of the year. About 60% of the cases were part of three clusters, of which two are occurring in Upper Austria and one in Tirol. Molecular typing of isolates showed a PFGE pattern indistinguishable from the strain having caused the multi-country outbreak of S. Stanley infections in the European Union from August 2011 to January 2013, and clusters of cases in 2013 and 2014.

West Nile virus – monitoring season 2015

New cases of West Nile virus reported this week.During the past week, Bulgaria reported a case from the newly affected area of Sofia, a district surrounding the already affected area of Sofia-stolitsa. France reported its first human case of the current transmission season, a confirmed case detected in the department of Gard. Italy reported seven new cases from already affected provinces. Serbia reported eight new cases. In addition, new infections in horses have been detected in the autonomous communities of Andalusia and Extremadura in Spain.

Middle East respiratory syndrome – coronavirus (MERS CoV)

Two new MERS cases reported in the last week.Read more: Rapid risk assessment - severe respiratory disease associated with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – 20th update, 27 August 2015

Ebola virus disease – West Africa – 2014–15

No confirmed cases of Ebola were reported in the week up to 4 October in Guinea and Sierra Leone. However, in Guinea 509 contacts remain under follow-up in three prefectures: Conakry, Coyah, and Forecariah.Read more: Rapid Risk Assessment: Outbreak of Ebola Virus disease in West Africa – 12th update