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.
In 2014, 2 760 confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease were reported to TESSy. The notification rate was 0.5 cases per 100 000 population, which is lower than in previous years.
In 2014, 84 cases, including 48 confirmed cases, were reported by 26 EU/EEA countries. Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany and Liechtenstein did not report data.
This issue of the Communicable Disease Threat Report (CDTR) covers the period 31 July - 6 August 2016 and includes updates on Zika virus, yellow fever in Angola, chikungunya, dengue, West Nile virus and polio.
Illnesses caused by infectious diseases are common in children in schools or other childcare settings. Currently there is no common EU approach to the control of communicable diseases in schools or other childcare settings, and existing information is uncertain.