European Immunization Week (EIW) is marked across Europe every year in the final week of April. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of immunisation for the general health and well-being of the European and wider population.
Mumps is a viral infection first described by Hippocrates that in its classical form causes acute parotitis and, less frequently, orchitis, meningitis and pneumonia.
In 2021, 1 567 cases of mumps were reported to ECDC by 27 European Union/European Economic Area(EU/EEA) Member States, with an overall notification rate of 0.4 cases per 100 000 population. This wassignificantly lower than the notification rates reported during the previous four years (range 1.7-4.2).
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 10-16 September 2023 and includes updates on COVID-19, diphtheria, West Nile virus, avian influenza, dengue, legionnaires' disease, the Rugby World Cup 2023, cutaneous Anthrax, pertussis, botulism and severe floods.
Anthrax continues to be uncommon in humans in the EU/EEA, with only a few cases reported every year. For 2021, four confirmed anthrax cases were reported by Bulgaria (one case) and Spain (three cases). Among 30 reporting EU/EEA countries, 27 notified zero cases.