Fleas are ectoparasitic blood-sucking insects with the ability to jump, which commonly infest wild and domestic animals (mainly dogs and cats) but also humans.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 26 November - 2 December 2023 and includes updates on human infection with influenza A(H1N2)v, influenza A(H5N1), an overview of respiratory virus epidemiology in the EU/EEA, respiratory infections due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the EU/EEA, HIV/AIDS surveillance 2023 (2022 data), West Nile virus, SARS-CoV-2 variant classification, and poliomyelitis.
Meningococcal disease is caused by Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium with human carriers as the only reservoir. It is carried in the nose, where it can remain for long periods without producing symptoms.
In 2021, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) updated the HIV targets for 2025 as part of the global strategy to end HIV transmission by 2030.
Migrants are a key population affected by HIV across Europe and Central Asia, accounting for 42% of new HIV diagnoses in the EU/EEA in 2021 and 48% of those diagnosed in 2022.
This report presents HIV/AIDS surveillance data for 2022, a year marked by increased population movements across Europe that have impacted HIV trends, particularly in EU/EEA countries.