Additional cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a potentially life threatening tick-borne viral disease, have been reported in the EU/EEA, according to new data published by ECDC. Experts have warned of an increased risk of transmission on the continent.
Focusing on two recent public health emergencies related to tick-borne diseases in two EU countries, ECDC experts investigated the public health response and specifically the involvement of the communities.
ECDC will start monitoring disease distribution in the EU and collecting EU data through the epidemiological surveillance network comprising the European Commission, ECDC and national authorities for epidemiological surveillance.
ECDC publishes today a report surveying the prevalence of Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE) in Europe. The report has epidemiological data from 2000 to 2010 for 20 out of 30 EU/EFTA countries. The data shows that a number of key risk areas can be found in Europe in terms of geographic spread, seasonal peaks and at-risk age groups. Most countries in Europe have surveillance systems although some vary which greatly impedes comparability and analysis of TBE.
On 5 September 2012 the European Commission decision amending Decision 2000/96/EC as regards tick-borne encephalitis was published. As a result tick-borne encephalitis is added to the list of diseases to be covered by epidemiological surveillance within the Community.
ECDC, through the VBORNET network, publishes regularly on its website maps on exotic mosquitoes and on phlebetomines - to provide the ECDC stakeholders and the general public with the most updated information on vector distribution. The maps are updated and improved quarterly.
Slovenia is one of the countries with the highest reported incidence rates of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Vaccination uptake is low, estimated to be 12.4%. TBE surveillance data for the last 20 years were analysed.
This study analyses occurence, trendline, occurence by months and geographical distribution of tick-transmitted diseases: Lyme borreliosis, Tick-borne meningoencephalitis (TBM) and Mediterranean spotted fever in the Republic of Croatia in the period between 1999 and 2008.