The Flu Awareness Week is marked across the WHO European Region every year in October. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination for people’s health and well-being and to increase the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination of people with underlying risk factors.
Organized by:World Health Organization (WHO) - Regional office for Europe
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 27 September - 3 October 2020 and includes updates on COVID-19 associated with SARS-CoV-2, West Nile virus, Ebola virus disease - eleventh outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, avian influenza and cholera.
Since the beginning of the 2020 transmission season, 162 outbreaks among equids have been reported. These outbreaks have been reported by Spain (126), Germany (18), Italy (12), France (3), Hungary (1), Portugal (1) and Austria (1) through ADNS. No outbreaks among birds have been reported through ADNS.
Since the start of the 2020 transmission season and as of 8 October 2020, EU Member States have reported 285 human cases of WNV infection and 31 deaths through TESSy: Greece (135, including 20 deaths), Spain (75, including 7 deaths), Italy (54, including 3 deaths), Germany (12), Romania (6, including 1 death) and Hungary (3). The province of Badajoz, Spain, and five regions in Germany reported locally-acquired human cases of WNV infection for the first time (regions of Barnim, Ostprignitz-Ruppin, Saalekreis, Halle (Saale) and Meissen). All other cases were reported from areas that have been affected during previous transmission seasons. No cases have been reported from EU neighbouring countries.
Since the start of the 2020 transmission season and as of 8 October 2020, EU Member States have reported 285 human cases of WNV infection and 31 deaths through TESSy: Greece (135, including 20 deaths), Spain (75, including 7 deaths), Italy (54, including 3 deaths), Germany (12), Romania (6, including 1 death) and Hungary (3). The province of Badajoz, Spain, and five regions in Germany reported locally-acquired human cases of WNV infection for the first time (regions of Barnim, Ostprignitz-Ruppin, Saalekreis, Halle (Saale) and Meissen). All other cases were reported from areas that have been affected during previous transmission seasons. No cases have been reported from EU neighbouring countries.
Between 2 and 8 October 2020, EU Member States reported 28 human cases of WNV infection: Italy (11), Germany (7), Greece (5), Spain (3) and Romania (2). Two regions in Germany (Meissen and Halle (Saale)) reported locally-acquired human cases of WNV infection for the first time through TESSy. All other cases were reported from areas that have been affected during previous transmission seasons. This week, one death was reported by Romania. No human cases of WNV infection or deaths were reported from EU neighbouring countries.
Within the overall theme of European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) 2020, “Dancing with elephants: New partnerships for health, democracy, business”, ECDC is hosting a workshop that will explore innovative digital solutions for comparable data, strong health systems and good decision-making.