Results from a recent vaccine trial, conducted by collaborating health authorities, possibly represent a major breakthrough in the control of Ebola virus disease.
Every year, around 50 000 newly diagnosed cases of hepatitis B and C are reported across Europe but millions are unaware of their infection. Left untreated, hepatitis can cause irreversible liver damage. Hepatitis A is recognised as a re-emerging health threat in Europe.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are the only key population in the countries of the European Union and European Economic Area that has not seen a decline in new HIV infections during the last decade.
On 12 May 2015, Italian authorities informed about a confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in a healthcare worker who recently returned from Sierra Leone after working in an EVD treatment centre from 15 February to 6 May 2015.
A report published on 1 May indicates that the Ebola virus can persist in seminal fluid of a person who recovered from Ebola virus disease for longer than previously known and can potentially lead to sexual transmission of Ebola virus.
The results of two clinical studies, PROUD and IPERGAY, suggests that the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for men who have sex with men (MSM) is an effective HIV prevention tool for Europe.
On March 3 2015, the European Union organised a high-level conference on the Ebola epidemic. The purpose was two-fold: first, to take stock of the ongoing emergency response and adapt it to the evolving situation on the ground, leading to eradication of the disease; second, to plan for the long term and support the recovery and resilience of the affected countries, including the development of their health systems.
ECDC releases today an update of its tick-borne diseases communication toolkit to support public health authorities in devising communication initiatives as part of their tick-borne diseases prevention programmes.
As reinforcement to help fight Ebola in the affected West African countries, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is deploying four teams of French-speaking epidemiologists to support surveillance and response in Guinea.