In a series of reports released by ECDC, a concerning rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across Europe has been revealed indicating troubling trends and significant public health implications.
Varicella is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which also causes shingles (herpes zoster). The virus typically affects children aged 2‒8 years.
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.
Despite good access to effective antibiotics, Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci) is still a major cause of disease and death in both developing and developed countries. Pneumococci are the main cause of bacterial respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia, middle ear infection, and sinusitis, in all age groups.
Poliovirus is highly contagious and infected individuals shed virus in the faeces and from oral secretions, thus the mode of transmission is person-to-person, both via the faecal-oral and the oral-oral routes.
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.