Communicable disease threats report, 18-24 October 2015, week 43
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. Summarising information gathered by ECDC through its epidemic intelligence activities regarding communicable disease threats of concern to the European Union, it also provides updates on the global situation and changes in the epidemiology of communicable diseases with potential to affect Europe, including diseases that are the focus of eradication efforts.
Executive summary
This issue covers the period 18-24 October 2015, and includes updates on MERS, Ebola virus disease and Influenza A(H7N9).
Middle East respiratory syndrome – coronavirus (MERS CoV) - multistate Ten new MERS cases reported in the last weekSince 15 October, ten new cases of MERS were reported from Saudi Arabia. This included one healthcare worker and four female household contacts. To date, 1 626 cases of MERS, including 624 deaths have been reported worldwide by local health authorities.
Ebola virus disease – West Africa – 2014–2015 Three confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease were reported from GuineaThree confirmed cases of EVD were reported from Guinea, two from Forecariah and one from Conakry. The case from Conakry is not a known contact of a previous case and genomic analysis suggest that he was not infected with the strain responsible for the most recent cases in Conakry and Forecariah.
Influenza A(H7N9) –China – Monitoring human cases Two new cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) notified in ChinaOn 16 October, two new cases of Influenza A(H7N9) were reported from the Zhejiang province in China. Both cases had exposure to poultry and live poultry markets, and there is no epidemiological link between the two.