Guidance for integrated respiratory virus surveillance in Europe

Integrated respiratory virus surveillance combines information from multiple sources to provide a comprehensive assessment of acute respiratory illness in the population. Effective integrated surveillance should generate information to guide public health actions, such as data interpretation, reporting and communication, and prevention and control measures. 

ECDC has produced this guidance on the routine integrated surveillance of respiratory viruses for EU/EEA countries. Its development was informed by a working group made up of European Respiratory Viruses Network (ERVI-NET) members.

The guidance provides a framework for surveillance as information for public health. It defines action‑oriented surveillance objectives, the mix and design of surveillance systems and additional data sources needed to meet them, and how the resulting data are analysed to inform action at different levels. 

The guidance is intended to support surveillance within ERVI-NET, to provide the operational detail needed to comply with EU legislation, and to support national and sub-national public health authorities in decisions concerning the allocation of resources for surveillance. The document identifies priorities for use by public health authorities to ensure effective surveillance. National or sub-national surveillance that can produce timely, high-quality data is essential for each country and is the foundation of EU-level monitoring and public health action. 

Designed as a modular and evolving framework, this first module establishes the core conceptual and structural foundation for integrated respiratory virus surveillance in the EU/EEA. The guidance has been developed to enable faster publication, easier updates and greater flexibility as surveillance needs evolve. Additional stand-alone modules will be added to the framework as they are finalised later in 2026 and during 2027.