Following the announcement of three patients presenting with a novel influenza A virus on 31 March 2013,  the health bureau of Jiangsu province of China confirmed four more cases of influenza A(H7N9) from different cities in the province on 2 April 2012.

In the light of confirmed novel influenza A virus, A(H7N9), infection in humans in China, ECDC has issued a rapid risk assessment for the EU/EEA. At this stage of investigation, the risk of spread of infection to Europe is considered low.

In 2011, a total of 4 897 cases of Legionnaires’ disease (LD) were notified by EU Member States, Iceland and Norway, with a 22% decrease compared to the previous year.  Most of the cases (67%) were community-acquired, while 24% were travel-associated and 7% were linked with healthcare facilities.

Since the ECDC epidemiological update of 22 February 2013, four new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection have been reported worldwide, totalling 17 cases and including eleven deaths.

Effective control of gonorrhoea, the second most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection in Europe, relies on successful antimicrobial treatment. As data from the ECDC report Gonococcal antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance in Europe 2011 illustrate, gonococci have become more resistant to common agents for treatment and show reduced susceptibility to newer antibiotics.

With this technical report, the intent of ECDC is to propose a comprehensive list of core competencies that should be adopted by infection control and hospital hygiene professionals across Europe.

From 17 to 23 March 2013, ECDC monitored several on-going public health threats within and outside the European Union.

In all reporting countries but one, influenza activity continued to decline or had already returned to baseline levels. After more than three months of active transmission, the 2012–2013 influenza season is on the wane, concludes the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview for week 11.

Experts from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and WHO/Europe will answer questions on tuberculosis (TB) during a live Twitter chat on Friday, 22 March 2013, 10.00–11.00 UTC/GMT (11:00–12:00 CET). The chat, using the hashtag #TBchat, is part of ECDC’s activities for World TB Day, marked annually on 24 March.

ECDC publishes today the latest maps on the geographical distribution of exotic mosquitoes, sandlfies and ticks in Europe, the new maps updated with a more detailed classification of the geographical presence of vector species.

The 2013 European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology (ESCAIDE) will be held in Stockholm, Sweden on 5 - 7 November.

Every day, around 200 people fall sick with tuberculosis (TB) across the EU/EEA, signalling that there is no room for complacency when it comes to TB prevention and control even in times of financial austerity. To mark World TB Day on the 24 March, ECDC and the WHO Regional Office for Europe release new surveillance data today.

Following an invitation from the local authorities, ECDC sent a team of experts to Madeira in autumn 2012 to support the response to the outbreak of dengue fever.

From 10 to 16 March 2013, ECDC monitored several on-going public health threats within and outside the European Union.

From 3 to 9 March 2013, ECDC monitored several on-going public health threats within and outside the European Union.

During week 9, 19 of 27 countries reporting indicated high/medium-intensity transmission and wide geographic spread. Only two countries reported increasing trends compared to six in week 8.

On 8 March, the Health Protection Agency in the United Kingdom reported an additional fatal case of anthrax in Suffolk, England. It concerns a person who injected heroin. This brings the number of anthrax cases among injecting drug users in the EU to 14, since June 2012.

The Annual Epidemiological Report 2012 – which is based on 2010 surveillance data – shows that meaningful disease surveillance in Europe is not easily accomplished. Surveillance systems in the EU still have a long way to go before disease data will be comparable and compatible between Member States or even between the regions within each State.