Rapid risk/outbreaks assessment aim at supporting the countries and the European Commission in their preparedness and response to a public health threat. They provide a timely summary and risk assessment of a public health threat for EU/EEA countries related to a specific event. They also include potential options for response. As outbreaks or public health events develop, ECDC may issue updated risk assessments.
This rapid risk assessment evaluates the risk of transmission and further spread of OXA-48-producing Klebsiella pneumonia e ST392 from travellers having sought medical care in Gran Canaria to healthcare facilities in their country of origin in the EU/EEA.
On 24 March 2017, the German authorities reported the contamination of a ‘do-it-yourself’ bacterial gene engineering CRISPR kit produced in the US. This publication assesses the risk related to the use of ‘do-it-yourself’ CRISPR-associated gene engineering kit contaminated with pathogenic bacteria.
The report aims to provide a critical review of evidence on the barriers and drivers of seasonal influenza vaccination coverage in the EU/EEA. The report focuses on high-risk groups where high coverage of seasonal flu vaccination is most important. The 2009 Council of the European Union Recommendation on seasonal influenza vaccination encourages countries to implement measures that would increase seasonal influenza vaccination uptake to at least 75% for defined older age groups, and, if possible, for other risk groups. In support of this, the ECDC report summarises the evidence on what are the barriers and what are the drivers for seasonal influenza vaccination by each risk group
Within the context of the West Nile virus outbreaks, an ECDC mission was conducted at the end of the transmission season to support the Greek authorities regarding further response and prevention activities on West Nile virus infections.
Following an unusually large and widespread outbreak of West Nile virus, ECDC and the WHO Regional Office for Europe conducted a joint visit to Romania to review the risk assessment of the virus in Romania.