This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 18-24 July 2021 and includes updates on Escherichia coli ST38, COVID-19, Vibrio growth in the Baltic Sea the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 (2021), West Nile virus, avian influenza and cholera.
Human cases and fatalities due to influenza A(H5N1) virus continue to increase in Egypt, with cases from the country now accounting for the highest number of human cases reported worldwide.
According to a WHO update published on 4 December 2014, eight new human cases of influenza A(H5N1) have been reported in Egypt, with onset of disease in November 2014, bringing the total for 2014 to 12.
This report which is part of the RAGIDA project (Risk Assessment Guidance for Infectious Diseases transmitted on Aircraft) provides viable options for decision-makers when faced with the choice of whether to contact trace air travellers and crew that were potentially exposed to infectious diseases during a flight.
The results of two, as yet unpublished, investigations of laboratory-induced genetic changes in avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses have been reported to have found that a surprisingly few number of changes make the viruses transmissible between ferrets, the most commonly used model for the way influenza behaves in humans. The possibility that this could have resulted in the development in laboratories of A(H5N1) influenza viruses transmissible between humans has caused concern for public safety and generated unusually high levels of debate in the scientific community. This report summarises and explains the complex public health and scientific issues around these developments including the positive and negative aspects of some of the responses that have been proposed internationally.
The document characterises the risk to human health in Europe from highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in birds and animals. The report identifies areas requiring additional scientific and public health work both as single pieces of work and for risk monitoring by ECDC and its partners.
The document determines the risk to human health in Europe from highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in birds and animals and identifies areas requiring additional scientific and public health work both as single pieces of work and for risk monitoring by ECDC and its partners.