During the 2023 West Nile virus transmission season, and as of 4 January 2024, 709 locally acquired human cases of West Nile virus infection, including 67 deaths, were reported by nine European Union countries.
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.
A genomic cluster of Listeria monocytogenes infections has been identified in the EU/EEA and the United Kingdom, according to a Rapid Outbreak Assessment released today by ECDC and EFSA.
Campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis were the most frequently reported zoonotic diseases in humans in the EU in 2022. For West Nile virus, an increase of the number of infections was observed.
As of 30 June 2023, European Union, European Economic Area and EU-neighbouring countries have reported 1 340 locally acquired human cases of West Nile virus infection, including 104 deaths, in 2022.
The mosquito species Aedes albopictus, a known vector of chikungunya and dengue viruses, is establishing itself further northwards and westwards in Europe, according to the latest data.
Between 2018 and 2020, nearly 20 000 surgical site infections (SSIs) were reported from a total of over 1.2 million surgical procedures in 13 EU/EEA countries participating in ECDC-coordinated SSI surveillance. Over 2 500 hospitals are part of this surveillance network.
Hepatitis A cases in 2021 were at their lowest levels since EU-level hepatitis A surveillance began in 2007, while five other food and waterborne diseases are rising towards pre-pandemic levels. The information is revealed in the Annual Epidemiological Report 2021, of which six chapters are published today by ECDC.