On 20 September 2022, the Ministry of Health in Uganda, together with the World Health Organization - Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO), confirmed an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) due to Sudan ebolavirus in Mubende District, Uganda.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) kindly invite you to join a webinar on West Nile virus and Usutu virus infections among humans and animals, with a focus on the situation in the European Union.
Recent epidemics of Ebola virus disease in Africa have increased the potential risk of Ebola virus transmission via donated blood and blood components, cells, tissues and organs (substances of human origin; SoHO), not only locally and regionally in Africa, but also in non-endemic unaffected areas such as Europe due to population movements.
The European public health and blood authorities responded to the threat posed by West Nile virus to blood safety of blood and blood components by adopting preventive measures which are defined in the EU blood legislation, professional guides of the Council of Europe and the EU WNV blood transfusion preparedness plan. The measures include the deferral of blood donors that have visited or residing in a NUTS 3 area considered to be affected (i.e. with at least one confirmed case).