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.
Immunisation is the only effective method of prevention. Mumps vaccine is given in the form of the combined trivalent measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in all European countries with a first dose at or before 18 months of age. The timing of the second dose varies across countries.
On 14-15 January 2015 an ECDC consultation gathered public health experts, entomologists and epidemiologists from Europe, as well as experts from WHO, CDC and PacNet, to review the EU preparedness to dengue and chikungunya importation and onwards transmission and produce a roadmap towards improved EU preparedness.
The online database of the ECDC HAI-Net point prevalence survey (PPS) of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use provides European reference data on HAIs and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals in Europe. See the PPS reports on antimicrobial use by indication and specialty