This country visit report presents the findings of a case study into outbreaks of Shiga toxin/verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC) at childcare facilities in Ireland, conducted in November 2018.
To support countries in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) in their review of preparedness system planning, ECDC launches an operational checklist for health emergency preparedness for imported cases of high consequence infectious diseases.
Denmark has reported a travel-related case of malaria caused by Plasmodium cynomolgi in a Danish traveller returning from a visit to forested areas in peninsular Malaysia and Thailand during August-September 2018.
The ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) is a weekly bulletin for epidemiologists and health professionals on active public health threats. This issue covers the period from 14-24 August 2019 and includes updates on Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, monitoring environmental sustainability of Vibrio growth in the Baltic Sea, West Nile virus infection, haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Croatia and Slovenia, the mass gathering of the Hajj in Saudi Arabia and Listeriosis in Spain. (Erratum (26 August 2019): On pages 2 and 5 (West Nile virus infection), the figure of eight deaths in Greece (4), Cyprus (1) and Serbia (1) has been amended to four deaths in Greece (2), Cyprus (1) and Serbia (1)
For 2017, 8 401 cases were reported in the EU/EEA, 8 393 (99.9%) of which were confirmed. Twenty-one confirmed cases were reported as acquired in the EU.
In 2017, 21 countries reported 4 239 cases of hantavirus infection (0.8 cases per 100 000 population). Two countries, Finland and Germany, accounted for 70.1% of all reported cases. In the absence of a licensed vaccine, prevention mainly relies on rodent control, avoidance of contact and properly cleaning and disinfecting areas contaminated by rodent excreta (urine, saliva or droppings).