The 6th Food- and Waterborne Diseases and Zoonoses network (FWD-Net) meeting focused on strengthening EU surveillance and response capacity as well as on hepatitis A as an emerging foodborne disease in the EU.
Location:Piperska muren, Scheelegatan 14, Stockholm, Sweden
Since publishing the ’Joint ECDC-EFSA rapid outbreak assessment: Outbreak of hepatitis A virus infection in residents and travellers to Italy’ in May, new information has emerged as a result of the epidemiological, microbiological and environmental investigations. Therefore, ECDC has updated its previous assessment.
Since 1 January 2013 there have been 15 laboratory-confirmed cases of hepatitis A (HAV) infection reported in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. All cases had travelled to the provinces of Trento and Bolzano in northern Italy during the exposure period.
Between 1 November 2012 and 30 April 2013, 15 confirmed cases of hepatitis A virus infections with subgenotype IB and identical RNA sequence, and 89 probable cases, have been reported in 14 EU/EFTA countries. All cases have a travel history to Egypt.
Between 1 October 2012 and 8 April 2013, 16 confirmed cases of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections with subgenotype IB and identical RNA sequence were reported in four Nordic countries.
This evidence-based guidance is designed to inform the development, monitoring and evaluation of national strategies and programmes in countries in Europe in order to reduce and prevent infections among people who inject drugs.
The content of this joint guidance was developed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) with the support of a technical advisory group composed of policy makers, service providers, civil society representatives and preventative health experts from throughout the EU/EEA.