Search

ECDC’s influenza virus characterisation reports are published periodically and give an overview of circulating influenza viruses. They provide details on the current vaccine strains, summarise the development of the viruses since the last report, and closely follow the main developments for the ongoing influenza season. Virus characterisation reports are primarily intended for influenza virologists and epidemiologists.

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 2-8 August 2020 and includes updates on the Ebola virus disease eleventh outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, poliomyelitis, West Nile virus, COVID-19 associated with SARS-CoV-2, monitoring environmental suitability of Vibrio growth in the Baltic Sea, influenza A(H3N2) variant virus – Hawaii, USA, tick-borne encephalitis in the UK, local transmission of dengue fever in France and babesiosis in the UK.

Influenza activity started in week 45/2019 and returned to baseline levels in week 13/2020, earlier than previous seasons. Influenza viruses circulated at high levels between weeks 52/2019 and 10/2020 (based on increased proportions (40% and above) of sentinel specimens testing positive for influenza viruses). This is comparable to previous seasons.

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 19-25 July 2020 and includes updates on Ebola virus disease, cholera, COVID-19 associated with SARS-CoV-2, monitoring of Vibrio in the Baltic Sea and influenza A(H1N1) variant in Germany.

This is the eighth report for the 2019–20 influenza season. As of week 25/2020, 164 883 influenza detections across the WHO European Region had been reported; 73% type A viruses, with A(H1N1)pdm09 prevailing over A(H3N2), and 27% type B viruses, with 4 479 (98%) of 4 568 ascribed to a lineage being B/Victoria.

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 12-18 July 2020 and includes updates on Ebola virus disease, chikungunya, dengue, COVID-19 associated with SARS-CoV-2, West Nile virus, monitoring Vibrio growth in the Baltic Sea and an influenza A(H1N2) variant in Brazil.

No human cases of avian influenza were reported in the EU/EEA. One human A(H5N1) and another A(H7N9) infection were reported from mainland China. Sporadic human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) and A(H9N2) were reported.

A recently published study conducted between 2011 and 2018 in China, and based on surveillance data in pigs, identified an emerging genotype 4 (G4) reassortant Eurasian avian-like (EA) A(H1N1) swine influenza virus that contains internal genes from the human A(H1N1)pdm09 and North American triple-reassortant (TR) lineage-derived internal genes.

Between 16 February and 15 May 2020, 290 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) virus outbreaks were reported in Europe in poultry (n=287), captive birds (n=2) and wild birds (n=1) in Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary and Poland and two low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) A(H7N1) virus outbreaks were reported in poultry in Italy.

This is the seventh report for the 2019 2019–20 influenza season. As of week 20 / 16 4 868 influenza detections across the WHO European Region ha have been reported; 73% type A viruses, with A(H1N1)pdm09 prevailing over A(H3N2), and 27% type B viruses, with 4 4 479 (98%) of 4 5 568 ascribed to a lineage being B/Victoria.