Pertussis is an endemic disease in the EU/EEA and worldwide. Every three to five years, larger epidemics are expected even with high vaccination coverage.
This report presents the available data for describing the current situation regarding HIV prevalence among sex workers, and the efforts being made across Europe and Central Asia towards HIV prevention among this population.
Chikungunya is not endemic in the EU/EEA and the majority of the cases are travellers infected outside of the EU/EEA. When the environmental conditions are favourable, in areas where Ae. albopictus is established, viraemic travel-related cases may generate a local transmission of the virus as demonstrated by the sporadic events of chikungunya virus transmission since 2007.
Depending on the level of evidence provided and the methodology used, this advice is typically conveyed through a Guidance, a Systematic review or an Expert opinion.
On 20 and 24 November 2019, respectively, the Dutch public health authorities confirmed two imported cases of Lassa fever from Sierra Leone. Both were Dutch healthcare workers who worked in a rural hospital in Sierra Leone.
In 2019, the hajj will take place between 9 and 14 August. The risk for EU/EEA citizens to become infected with communicable diseases during the 2019 hajj is considered low, thanks to the vaccination requirements for travelling to Makkah (Mecca) and the Saudi Arabian preparedness plans that address the management of health hazards during and after hajj.
In a two-day meeting organised by ECDC and UNAIDS, representatives of 22 European countries discussed how to improve the delivery of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) across Europe. The meeting brought together country delegates, PrEP users and community HIV advocates to seek ways to strengthen the provision and monitoring of PrEP.
As of 30 August 2018, Algeria has reported 74 confirmed cholera cases from six northern and coastal areas of the country. This is the first cholera outbreak reported in Algeria in more than 20 years.