ECDC releases a communication toolkit for seasonal influenza, with materials targeting healthcare workers and people at higher risk of developing flu-related complications.

If you are planning to organise communication activities on influenza prevention, the new ECDC communication toolkit provides campaign materials that can be adapted and reused in your country to help tackle seasonal influenza.

Today ECDC publishes its risk assessment on the 2012/13 seasonal influenza epidemics in Europe. Epidemics started earlier than in the previous season and western Europe and Scandinavia were the first affected areas. To date, south-western European countries (Spain and Portugal) have been less affected. ECDC advises central and eastern Europe to continue preparing for a similar pattern of transmission and intensity to that seen in western Europe and Scandinavian countries. Overall, this year there is no clear dominance of any particular influenza viruses.

The latest issue of ECDC’s monthly series on 'Influenza virus characterisation’ covers the time period from September to December 2012.

Since 1 September 2012, A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and B/Victoria and B/Yamagata lineage influenza viruses have been detected in relatively low numbers in ECDC-affiliated countries.

The activity of seasonal influenza continues to rise in a number of European countries, especially in western Europe, concludes the latest Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview, Week 52. There is still time to protect yourself from getting or spreading the flu by being vaccinated.

The reported national influenza trends indicate that the influenza season is coming to its end in Europe, highlights the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview for Week 19.

The reported national influenza trends indicate that influenza season is coming to its end in Europe, highlights the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview for Week 18.

The reported national influenza trends indicate that seasonal influenza is on the decline all across Europe, highlight the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview for week 15.

The reported national influenza trends indicate that the peaks of the epidemics have passed in a number of European countries, the latest edition of the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview highlights.

The national seasonal influenza trends are continuing to increase in a number of countries, although three countries are also reporting they have seen a peak in their epidemics. The season is still dominated by A(H3) viruses, but B viruses seem to be on the increase recently as reported in the latest edition of the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview (week 9/2012).

The national influenza season epidemics in Europe are continuing upwards in a number of countries although they have peaked in at least two countries that were affected early. The epidemics remain dominated by A(H3) viruses, but B viruses seem to be become more important. This is reported in the latest edition of the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview (week 8/2012).

According to the WISO published today, influenza is slowly progressing across Europe and is currently dominated by A(H3N2) viruses.

During week 52/2011 (26 Dec 2011 - 1 Jan 2012) the annual seasonal influenza began in some countries in Europe though intensity remains low as yet in all countries reporting.

During week 50/2011 (12 - 18 December 2011), low influenza activity was notified by all 29 countries reporting: Read the Weekly influenza surveillance overview, week 50/2011.

The latest edition of the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report shows that Europe is still reporting low influenza activity. ECDC has been monitoring the patterns of human influenza infection in the southern hemisphere countries in their winters as well as our own experience in Europe of last season as this gives some indication of what can be expected in the following northern hemisphere winter.

The latest Weekly influenza surveillance overview (WISO) shows that Europe is still reporting low influenza activity. Eight weeks after the beginning of the surveillance season for influenza in the Northern Hemisphere, there has been no evidence of sustained transmission in EU/EAA countries, but more influenza viruses are being detected.

The latest Weekly influenza surveillance overview (WISO) shows low influenza activity in Europe. For the first time this season local spread was reported by the Netherlands, while the majority of countries reported absence of geographic spread.

On the 22 November 2011, ECDC organised a workshop at the European Parliament to provide policy makers with more information on the facts about seasonal influenza vaccination and on ECDC’s contributions to the implementation of the 2009 Council Recommendation on this subject. 

During week 45 (7-13 November 2011), all 28 countries providing data to the European Surveillance System (TESSy) database reported low influenza activity.

In week 42 (17–23 October 2011), all countries providing data to the European Surveillance System (TESSy) database reported low influenza activity.

Today, ECDC issues the first weekly edition of the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview (WISO) for the current surveillance season.

The 2011 seasonal influenza immunisation campaigns have started across Europe.  As in previous years ECDC is marking the start of the 2011-12 surveillance season in Week 40 with the publication of regular weekly updates of the main epidemiological and virological developments in the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview (WISO).

Australia has reported oseltamivir resistance of A(H1N1)2009 influenza virus in the state of New South Wales,  with assumed person-to-person transmission of the resistant strain. The European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has produced a rapid risk assessment to assess the situation.

A new meeting report is now available on the ECDC website. The report covers health communication strategies that could be undertaken to better promote influenza prevention measures and the healthcare professionals’ role in the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination.

ECDC publishes its technical document on influenza virus characterisation. Since the last influenza virus characterisation report, 250 virus specimens collected from February to June 2011 have been received from EU and EU-affiliated countries.

In late January 2008, antiviral drug susceptibility surveillance of seasonal influenza viruses was carried out in Europe (the EU-EEA-EFTA countries) by the EU-funded VIRGIL network. The National Influenza Centres revealed that some of the A (H1N1) viruses circulating this season (winter 2007-8) are resistant to the antiviral drug oseltamivir through mutation at position 274 in the viral neuraminidase gene.