Frozen corn is the likely source of an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes which has affected five EU Member States (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) since 2015. This is the conclusion of a rapid outbreak assessment published today by EFSA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). As of 8 March 2018, 32 cases including six deaths had been reported.
An outbreak of invasive Listeria monocytogenes ( L. monocytogenes ) infections defined by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and probably linked to frozen corn has been ongoing in five EU Member States (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom) since 2015. As of 8 March 2018, 32 cases have been reported and six patients have died due to or with the infection
The Burden of Communicable Disease in Europe (BCoDE) toolkit is a stand-alone software application which allows calculation of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for a selection of 117 communicable diseases and six healthcare-associated infections.
The latest ECDC rapid risk assessment on the risk of measles transmission in the EU/EEA highlights that vaccination coverage and occurrence of cases vary within countries and population groups. It points to the need for systems to identify and vaccinate young adults, who are increasingly affected and therefore increase measles circulation, but who may not be aware of their vaccination status. Finally, ECDC signals the frequency of cases amongst healthcare workers as a matter of concern and suggests that Member States may consider specific interventions to ensure this group is vaccinated.
This policy applies to members and alternates of the ECDC Management Board (MB) and Advisory Forum (AF), other individuals working on behalf of ECDC, including interims, as well as contractors and external experts participating in activities in which their evidence, expert opinion and advice may influence the scientific position of ECDC, regardless of their official job title or function.
The Management Board approves and monitors implementation of ECDC’s work programme and budget, it adopts its annual report and accounts - all in all, it acts as the governing body of the Centre. It meets at least twice a year.