Genetic and antigenic characterization data generated at the Worldwide Influenza Centre for viruses with collection dates after 31 January 2023 until 31 August 2023 informed the WHO influenza vaccine composition meeting (VCM) in September 2023 when recommendations were made for the southern hemisphere (SH) 2024 influenza season.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 12 - 18 November 2023 and includes updates on SARS-CoV-2 variant classification, West Nile virus, multistate outbreak of salmonella, and an overview of respiratory virus epidemiology in the EU/EEA.
The Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), led by WHO, is used for the international virological and epidemiological surveillance of human influenza.
Seasonal influenza is a vaccine-preventable disease and annual influenza vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza. ECDC continues to emphasise that all Europeans who are recommended to have the influenza vaccine should get vaccinated.
The clinical surveillance of influenza in the European Influenza Surveillance Network (EISN) is generally based on reports made by sentinel general practitioners. Some of the sentinel surveillance systems also include paediatricians and physicians with other specialisations. The physicians usually represent 1-5% of physicians working in the country or region.
ECDC and World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe have jointly developed the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), an interactive surveillance data dashboard for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that also features a weekly epidemiological summary.
There are general objectives for integrated surveillance of respiratory viruses in the European Union. These objectives apply to surveillance of influenza, COVID-19, and other respiratory virus infections.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 15-22 October 2023 and includes updates on respiratory virus epidemiology in the EU/EEA, SARS-CoV-2 variant classification, cryptosporidiosis, dengue, West Nile virus, and mass gathering monitoring for the Rugby World Cup.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 8-14 October 2023 and includes updates on hepatitis A, influenza A(H5N1), COVID-19, the Rugby World Cup 2023, West Nile virus, measles and diphtheria.