Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is endemic in the Balkan region and a few sporadic cases are reported on a regular basis. In the WHO European Region, Turkey remains the country that is most affected. The main vector for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, the tick Hyalomma marginatum, has a wide distribution in Europe.
An outbreak of chikungunya in the Caribbean region was reported from the French part of the island of Saint Martin on 6 December 2013. Since then, autochthonous transmission of chikungunya has been reported from several islands in the Caribbean. For the first time, local cases of chikungunya were reported in South America (French Guiana).
Individuals living in or travelling to endemic regions should take the following protective measures against mosquito bites, especially during the day,when the mosquitos are active
The general objective of the expert consultation was to draft a proposal for case definition and case classification of dengue and chikungunya fever suitable for surveillance in continental Europe.
A meeting and a workshop on the ECDC point prevalence survey (PPS) of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals took take place in London on 5-6 March 2012.
In the context of the ongoing outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) that affects by now citizens from 13 EU member states, it is crucial not only to align the efforts regarding investigation and control of the outbreak but also to share knowledge among practitioners across Europe on the patho-physiological and clinical characteristics of infection caused by this unusual epidemic strain, and review patient management options.