In 2023, significant increases in the number of measles cases and outbreaks were observed globally, including in 40 of the 53 countries of the European region, and in at least ten EU/EEA countries.
The increase in cases of measles, a highly contagious, but vaccine-preventable disease, is a stark reminder that all Member States should maximise efforts to achieve and maintain high vaccination coverage for all vaccine-preventable diseases.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) the period 4-10 February 2024 and includes updates on avian influenza, measles, MERS-CoV, COVID-19, swine influenza, respiratory virus epidemiology, Western equine encephalitis, Hepatitis E, and the Chinese New Year.
The food-borne infections listeriosis and shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli are increasing in the EU/EEA and were in 2022 at levels higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) the period 28 January - 3 February 2024 and includes updates on SARS-CoV-2 variant classification, swine influenza, human cases of co-infection with seasonal influenza and avian influenza, influenza, western equine encephalitis, and an overview of respiratory virus epidemiology in the EU/EEA.