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This second update to ECDC's initial risk assessment concludes that the risk of the disease spreading to Europe via humans or through poultry is still low at this time.

On 31 March 2013, the Chinese authorities announced the identification of a novel influenza A virus, A(H7N9), in three seriously ill people from two provinces presenting with respiratory infections. So far, no epidemiological link has been identified between those three patients. When testing for the influenza virus, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention identified genes from both A(H7N9) and A(H9N2) viruses, thus indicating a novel reassortant avian influenza A virus. In its initial assessment of the situation, the ECDC rapid risk assessment concludes that the risk of the spread of the virus in Europe can be considered low at this stage.

Since the notification of a novel reassortant influenza A(H7N9) virus on 31 March 2013, 1 548 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus have been reported.

In the course of the 2016–2017 influenza season, nearly 146 000 influenza detections across the EU/EAA region have been reported.

In the course of the 2016–17 influenza season, nearly 146 000 influenza detections have been reported across the WHO European Region.

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 27 August - 2 September 2017 and includes updates on measles, MERS, West Nile fever and Chikungunya.

The “Avian influenza overview” report is published quarterly and provide an update of the developments of avian influenza viruses in EU/EEA and worldwide, in particular with a view to describe the evolution of virus spread from certain regions towards the EU. In case of significant changes in the epidemiology of avian influenza, these reports could be needed more frequently.

The report is published jointly by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Union Reference Laboratory for Avian influenza (EURL). Avian influenza is an infectious viral disease in birds, including domestic poultry. Avian influenza is mainly found in birds, but under certain circumstances infections can also occur in humans even though the risk is generally very low.

In the course of the 2016–17 influenza season, over 146 000 influenza detections across the WHO Europe Region have been reported.

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.

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 31 December 2017-6 January 2018 and includes updates on hepatitis A, influenza, MERS, poliomyelitis and salomnellosis.