Communicable disease threats report, 19-25 August 2012, week 34
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
Since the beginning of the year, a number of European countries have reported cases of Salmonella Stanley with the majority of cases in children under nine years of age. In the last twelve months, as of 22 August, 267 cases of S. Stanley infections have been reported over four EU Member States. As the source of infection and potential vehicles have yet to be identified, it is possible that additional cases of S. Stanley infections will be found. Investigations are ongoing to identify the vehicle of infection.
This week, Romania reported its first four West Nile fever cases (three confirmed, one probable) in the country this year. This includes one confirmed case in the Bucuresti municipality (Bucharest). Ninety-one human cases of West Nile fever have been reported in the EU this year.
An outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever is ongoing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with 15 cases reported, including nine deaths in Orientale province in eastern DRC. ECDC has published a rapid risk assessmentto assess the risk at an EU level associated with this outbreak. The risk of the outbreak spreading to the EU is extremely low. The outbreak in DRC is Ebola species Bundibugyo and is not related to the recently ended outbreak in Uganda, which was caused by the Ebola species Sudan.
The weekly Communicable Disease Threats Report provides a bulletin intended for epidemiologists and health professionals in the area of communicable disease prevention and control.
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