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.
This rapid risk assessment addresses the public health risk associated with the early occurrence of a large number of West Nile virus infections in the EU/EEA and EU neighbouring countries in 2018.
The production of this rapid risk assessment was triggered by a report by the Czech Republic of two travelassociated cases of cholera from Zanzibar (Tanzania) and the cholera epidemics in the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden.
The recent floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia caused substantial damage. Following the floods, there is a risk of increased transmission of vector-borne infections to the populations.
West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging pathogen whose ecology and epidemiology extend across multiple interfaces. As the epidemiology and transmission cycle of WNV is complex, assessing the risk of WNV being transmitted to humans is not always straightforward. Therefore, the WNV risk assessment tool has been developed to provide operational guidance in support of the risk assessment process.
Within the context of the West Nile virus outbreaks, an ECDC mission was conducted at the end of the transmission season to support the Greek authorities regarding further response and prevention activities on West Nile virus infections.
This updated rapid risk assessment assesses the potential risk for European travellers to Cuba after an outbreak of cholera in the Cuban province of Granma expanded to the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Camagüey and Guantanamo.
On 7 and 10 July, the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) reported the first two human cases of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in Greece this year. When looking at the epidemiology of WNV infection in Greece since 2010, one can observe a progressive geographical expansion of WNV transmission throughout the country. For this reason, these newly confirmed cases in Athens do not come unexpected.
This rapid risk assessment assesses the potential risk for European travellers to Cuba after an outbreak of cholera in the Granma Province of the country.