This country visit report presents the findings of a case study into outbreaks of Shiga toxin/verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC) at childcare facilities in Ireland, conducted in November 2018.
To support countries in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) in their review of preparedness system planning, ECDC launches an operational checklist for health emergency preparedness for imported cases of high consequence infectious diseases.
This issue covers the period 6-12 October 2019 and includes updates on Ebola virus disease, extensively drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, West Nile virus, mass gathering monitoring (Japan, Rugby World Cup 2019), Poliomyelitis, Measles, Zika virus disease, seasonal influenza, XDR-Typhoid fever.
In 2017, 8.3% (11 787) of the patients who stayed in intensive-care units (ICUs) for more than two days presented with at least one ICU-acquired healthcare-associated infection (HAI) under surveillance (pneumonia, bloodstream infection, or urinary tract infection).
Carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli poses a significant threat to patients and healthcare systems in all European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections are associated with high mortality, primarily due to delays in administration of effective treatment and the limited availability of treatment options.
ECDC is organising a short course on “Control of multidrug-resistant micro-organisms (MDROs) in health care settings”. This training opportunity is addressed at healthcare professionals from European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries with current or future responsibility for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) due to MDROs working at national or local level. The course is offered by invitation only and participants are identified through the ECDC Coordinating Competent Bodies.
In 2019, the hajj will take place between 9 and 14 August. The risk for EU/EEA citizens to become infected with communicable diseases during the 2019 hajj is considered low, thanks to the vaccination requirements for travelling to Makkah (Mecca) and the Saudi Arabian preparedness plans that address the management of health hazards during and after hajj.