Joint ECDC and WHO European regional influenza surveillance meeting, 2011
The annual regional influenza surveillance meeting is for influenza surveillance focal points to be provided with an update on regional and global developments and exchange information.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the WHO Regional Office for Europe coordinate the collection and presentation of clinical, epidemiological and virological data on influenza submitted by the 53 Member States in the WHO European Region, and published as a weekly bulletin.
The annual regional influenza surveillance meeting is for influenza surveillance focal points to be provided with an update on regional and global developments and exchange information.
Meeting objectives
- Provide a situation update on the 2010/2011 influenza season, with respect to epidemiology, virology and vaccination;
- Review the first season after the pandemic, particularly with respect to severe disease caused by the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus;
- Review developments in TESSy and EuroFlu, the respective ECDC and WHO/Europe influenza surveillance platforms.
Summary of the meeting
On 7-9 June 2011, ECDC and the WHO Regional Office for Europe held jointly, for the first time, their annual influenza surveillance meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Hosted by the Slovenian National Public Health Institute and supported by the WHO Country Office, Slovenia, the meeting attracted over 150 representatives from all Member States. Reports on the unusual 2010-2011 influenza epidemics in Europe were presented, together with progress and recommendations on a wide range of virological and epidemiological related subjects.Member States representatives expressed their full support to ECDC to continue undertaking annual seasonal influenza risk assessments with WHO, as recommended in the report on the handling of the 2009 pandemic recently agreed at the 64th World Health Assembly.
In closing the meeting together with Dr Caroline Brown (WHO), ECDC’s Influenza Programme Head Professor Angus Nicoll stated: “This is an excellent example of how ECDC and WHO are cooperating together with Member States on pandemic and seasonal influenza. The achievements reached in the last year and the progress still needed show how important it is for influenza to have enduring and consistent work between pandemics, especially when influenza is less newsworthy”.
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Seasonal influenza
Seasonal influenza is a preventable infectious disease with mostly respiratory symptoms. It is caused by influenza virus and is easily transmitted, predominantly via the droplet and contact routes and by indirect spread from respiratory secretions on hands etc.