Despite good access to effective antibiotics, Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci) is still a major cause of disease and death in both developing and developed countries. Pneumococci are the main cause of bacterial respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia, middle ear infection, and sinusitis, in all age groups.
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is an obligate human pathogen and an important cause of invasive bacterial infections in both children and adults, with the highest incidence among young children.
Mumps is a viral infection first described by Hippocrates that in its classical form causes acute parotitis and, less frequently, orchitis, meningitis and pneumonia.
A joint study of the National Public Health Organization in Greece (NPHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) conducted in 15 Greek hospitals in 2022 sheds light on the rapid spread of carbapenemase-producing, highly drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type (ST) 39, following its initial documentation in a European-wide genomic survey in 2019.
The main aim of the genomic study described in this surveillance report was to determine the distribution of the highly drug-resistant clade of Klebsiella pneumoniae (sequence type (ST) 39 in Greek hospitals in 2022.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 5 - 11 November 2023 and includes updates on SARS-CoV-2 variants, an overview of respiratory virus epidemiology in the EU/EEA, West Nile Virus, measles, diphtheria, Middle East respiratory virus syndrome, chikungunya, and dengue.