Communicable disease threats report, 13-19 April 2014, week 16

The ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report is a weekly bulletin intended for epidemiologists and health professionals in the area of communicable disease prevention and control. This issue covers the period 13-19 April 2014 and includes updates on:

Influenza season in Europe

Influenza activity is declining towards an inter-seasonal pattern. Most countries are reporting low intensity, local or sporadic geographical spread and a decreasing trend. Influenza season in the EU/EEA started during week 2/ 2014.

Middle East respiratory syndrome- coronavirus (MERS CoV)

Since the previous CDTR, 44 new cases of MERS CoV have been reported in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia reported 30 cases, including five deaths, and the United Arab Emirates reported 14 cases, including one death. The Philippines reported one case, a person who had recently returned from the United Arab Emirates. Malaysia reported a case that later died, a traveller who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia. Since April 2012, 275 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV, including 98 deaths, have been reported by national health authorities. All cases have either occurred in the Middle East, have had direct links to a primary case infected in the Middle East, or have returned from the area.

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa

Forty new cases of EVD have been reported in Guinea, and five new cases in Liberia. Mali and Sierra Leone have no confirmed cases.The ongoing outbreak of EVD in West Africa started in early February 2014, affecting Guinea (122 cases) and Liberia (27 cases).