In 2015, 874 confirmed echinococcosis cases were reported in the EU/EEA. Of these, 467 cases werereported as Echinococcus granulosus, 135 as Echinococcus multilocularis, and 272 as unknown species.
Hantaviruses are rodent-borne viruses can be transmitted to humans by contact with faeces/urine from infected rodents or with dust containing infective particles. They may cause severe diseases. Eliminating contact with rodents is the best way to prevent infection.
Hantavirus infections are widely distributed across Europe, with the exception of some Mediterranean countries which reported a very low number of cases.
ECDC promotes the performance of external quality assessment (EQA) schemes, in which laboratories are sent simulated clinical specimens or bacterial isolates for testing by routine or reference laboratory methods. EQA schemes, or laboratory proficiency testing, provide information about the accuracy of different characterisation and typing methods as well as antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and the sensitivity of the methods in place to detect a certain pathogen or novel resistance patterns.
Annual Epidemiological Report on the Hantavirus infection, 2014. ECDC’s annual surveillance reports provide a wealth of epidemiological data to support decision-making at the national level. They are mainly intended for public health professionals and policymakers involved in disease prevention and control programmes.