In 2011, a pilot study was undertaken to assess the public health benefit of molecular surveillance for gonorrhoea in 21 EU/EEA countries. A total of 1 066 isolates collected under the 2010 European gonococcal antimicrobial surveillance programme were typed and 406 sequence types identified, with considerable diversity among countries.
In May 2011, the European Commission asked ECDC to estimate the change in total exposure risk to hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during reproductive cell handling and storage for secondary parties, if the current scheme of testing at each cell donation would change to testing partner donors of reproductive cells once or twice a year.
This response plan is designed to prevent the spread of multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (MDR NG) in the EU/EEA in the context of the possible emergence of untreatable gonorrhoea
Following a request from the European Commission in August 2010, ECDC assessed the epidemiological history of Human T-lymphotropic Virus (HTLV) across the world, possible risks of HTLV transmission through transplantation of human tissues and cells, and possible measures to prevent such transmission.
ECDC plays an important role in providing its stakeholders with scientific advice when requested. On 23 September 2010 ECDC received such a request from the European Commission’s DG SANCO (Directorate C – Public Health and Risk Assessment).
The fourth edition of the Annual Epidemiological Report on Communicable Diseases in Europe provides a comprehensive summary of surveillance data for 2008.