The 2022-2023 influenza (flu) season epidemic is off to an early start in the European region as concerns over Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) rise and COVID-19 is still being a threat.
ECDC is actively monitoring the Ebola outbreak in Uganda through its epidemic intelligence activities and regular communication with Africa CDC, WHO (Ebola Disease caused by Sudan virus – Uganda) and GOARN partners.
According to a group of Chinese scientists, the detection of a previously unknown, phylogenetically distinct henipavirus, named Langya henipavirus (LayV), was reported in China.
As of 10 February 2022, EU/EEA and EU-neighbouring countries reported 159 locally acquired human cases of West Nile virus infection, including 13 deaths, in 2021. The last case of this transmission season was reported by Greece in week 45.
In the week commencing 13 December, the number of flu cases (caused by the influenza virus) detected in the WHO European Region was above what we would normally expect to find in the population for the second week in a row, which indicates the so-called flu season epidemic has started.
The Flu Awareness Campaign 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.
Although the overall number of influenza detections in the majority of EU/EEA countries is still low, indications show that influenza circulation is above the seasonal threshold in Croatia, which is unusually early. The main reported subtype among the cases recorded in EU/EEA during the past month is A(H3N2), which disproportionally affects older people, and is associated with lower vaccine effectiveness. This is a sign that the upcoming influenza season could be severe for elderly people, and that influenza patterns may vary between countries in terms of timing.