ECDC expert workshop for the development of a public health guidance to support the assessment of the risk of locally-acquired Aedes-borne viral diseases in the EU/EEA
Due to the increasing number of autochthonous dengue cases in the past years in some southern European countries, and the geographic spread of invasive Aedes mosquito species in Europe, the ECDC considers Aedes-borne diseases as an increasing public health threat in the EU/EEA. To support the EU/EEA countries for surveillance, prevention and control of autochthonous cases of Aedes-borne viral diseases (predominantly dengue and chikungunya virus disease), ECDC is working on the development of a public health guidance to support the assessment of the risk of locally-acquired Aedes-borne viral diseases in the EU/EEA to be published by the end of 2024.
As part of the guidance development, ECDC is organising a physical workshop between 16 and 18 April 2024 for consultation and active involvement of national experts from four EU Member States which have had autochthonous dengue and/or chikungunya cases in the past twelve years (i.e., France, Italy, Spain and Portugal (Madeira)), as well as national experts from three at-risk countries (Greece, Belgium and Germany). The invited national experts have experience with the problems connected to autochthonous transmissions of dengue and chikungunya or other mosquito-borne viral disease outbreaks and the public health actions applied to control the outbreaks. Additionally, laboratory / virology experts and medical entomologists are invited to the workshop for topic-specific inputs.
The workshop will give the opportunity to exchange information and experience between experts of previously affected and at-risk countries, as well as ECDC experts ahead of the summer, to increase preparedness before the start of the 2024 transmission season.
