The European Influenza Surveillance Network (EISN) consists of contact points for influenza surveillance (epidemiological and virological) nominated by the Competent Bodies for surveillance of the Member States. Epidemiological and virological surveillance data on influenza are collected through The European Surveillance System (TESSy). As of 2008, the responsibility for the former activities of the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS) has been transferred to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
By analysing the data on a weekly basis and issuing a weekly report, ECDC aims to provide to decision makers in Member States and national public health experts the basis to better assess influenza activity in Europe and to make available more accurate epidemiological and virological information to their governments, health care professionals and the general public.
The activities aim to contribute to reducing the burden of disease associated with influenza in Europe and include collection and exchange of timely information on influenza activity, contribution to the annual determination of the influenza vaccine content, provision of relevant information about influenza to health professionals and the general public and contribution to European influenza pandemic preparedness activities. ECDC also operates the influenza reference laboratory network: Community Network of Reference Laboratories for Human Influenza (CNRL).
Data collected for the surveillance of influenza are:
- Aggregate data of influenza-like illness (ILI) or Acute Respiratory infections (ARI) by age groups reported by sentinel practices in primary health care facilities.
- Qualitative indicators: intensity, geographic spread and trend.
- Virological data: types and syb-types of influenza viruses collected from sentinel and non-sentinel sources, genetic and antigenic characterisation of tested viruses, antiviral susceptibility and detections of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
- Hospitalised severe influenza cases reported with severe acute respiratory cases (SARI) caused by other pathogens. These cases are reported with other variables: age-groups, causative influenza (sub-) types, vaccination status, underlying conditions.
Weekly analysis of influenza surveillance is available in the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview (WISO) from week 40 to week 20. During off-season, i.e. from week 21 to 39, the bulletin is available on a fortnightly basis.
The situation of influenza elsewhere in Europe is available at the WHO Europe report: Euroflu. For information about the influenza situation in the world, see WHO influenza updates.
|
 Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview (WISO) is a surveillance report containing a clinical and virological overview of the current week and of the season. For each reporting country, clinical and virological data for the week are presented in a table. The table also links to a clinical and virological overview by country and season.
Read more about WISO
SEE ALL INFLUENZA UPDATES ON THE ECDC PORTAL
|
|
|
|
Updated ECDC risk assessment on avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China 08 May 2013 Monitoring current threats in week 18/2013: ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) 07 May 2013 ECDC publishes interim case definition and case finding algorithm for reporting patients with A(H7N9) 03 May 2013 |
|
|
|
|
Influenza virus characterisation April 2013 16 May 2013 Fortnightly influenza surveillance overview, 9 May 2013 09 May 2013 Human infection with a novel avian influenza virus, A(H7N9) – China 08 May 2013 |
|
|
|
|
New Swedish Registry study confirms increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents after vaccination with Pandemrix 03 May 2013 Association of receipt of Pandemrix™ and narcolepsy in children and adolescents in the UK (England) 18 Mar 2013 Estimating age specific cumulative incidence for the 2009 influenza pandemic: a meta-analysis of A(H1N1)pdm09 serological studies from 19 countries. 08 Feb 2013 |
|
|
|
|
WHO Recommendation on influenza virus vaccines for the Northern Hemisphere 2013-2014 season 15 Mar 2013 Seasonal influenza vaccine produced using recombinant technology approved for use in North America 08 Feb 2013 WHO announcement of strains to be included in the Southern Hemisphere 2013 influenza vaccine composition 11 Oct 2012 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Third Joint ECDC-WHO Europe influenza surveillance meeting 29 Apr 2013 Third Global Influenza Seroepidemiology Expert Meeting (CONSISE) 09 Apr 2013 Third meeting on use of vaccines for prevention of influenza 08 Feb 2013 |
|
|
|