Rubella is a mild febrile rash illness caused by rubella virus. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets (the virus is present in throat secretions). It affects mainly, but not only, children and when pregnant women are infected, it may result in malformation of the foetus. Humans are the only reservoir of infection.
This Reporting Protocol describes data collection for influenza, COVID-19, and other respiratory viruses (such as RSV or new viruses of public health concern) in the EU/EEA and wider WHO European Region. Data collection is integrated for most datasets in line with the operational considerations for respiratory virus surveillance in Europe.
Genetic and antigenic characterization data generated at the Worldwide Influenza Centre for viruses with collection dates after 31 January 2023 until 31 August 2023 informed the WHO influenza vaccine composition meeting (VCM) in September 2023 when recommendations were made for the southern hemisphere (SH) 2024 influenza season.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 12 - 18 November 2023 and includes updates on SARS-CoV-2 variant classification, West Nile virus, multistate outbreak of salmonella, and an overview of respiratory virus epidemiology in the EU/EEA.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 29 October - 4 November 2023 and includes updates on West Nile virus, the mass gatherings at the Rugby World Cup 2023 and the detection of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in ticks in southern France.
The Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), led by WHO, is used for the international virological and epidemiological surveillance of human influenza.
Seasonal influenza is a vaccine-preventable disease and annual influenza vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza. ECDC continues to emphasise that all Europeans who are recommended to have the influenza vaccine should get vaccinated.