Sixty cases of diphtheria due to toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae (n=29) or C. ulcerans (n=31), and one case with unknown pathogen were reported to ECDC in 2021.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 10-16 December 2023 and includes updates on measles, chikungunya, dengue, SARS-CoV-2, diphtheria, West Nile virus, respiratory virus epidemiology and influenza.
Several viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens are expected to continue co-circulating at variable levels during the coming months, and contribute to increased morbidity and mortality during this period. This is typical of every winter season.
A genomic cluster of Listeria monocytogenes infections has been identified in the EU/EEA and the United Kingdom, according to a Rapid Outbreak Assessment released today by ECDC and EFSA.
In 2022, the first and second most reported zoonoses in humans were campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis, respectively. The number of cases of campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis remained stable in comparison with 2021.
Campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis were the most frequently reported zoonotic diseases in humans in the EU in 2022. For West Nile virus, an increase of the number of infections was observed.
Meningococcal disease is caused by Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium with human carriers as the only reservoir. It is carried in the nose, where it can remain for long periods without producing symptoms.