Genetic and antigenic characterization data generated at the Worldwide Influenza Centre for viruses with collection dates after 31 January 2023 until 31 August 2023 informed the WHO influenza vaccine composition meeting (VCM) in September 2023 when recommendations were made for the southern hemisphere (SH) 2024 influenza season.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 12 - 18 November 2023 and includes updates on SARS-CoV-2 variant classification, West Nile virus, multistate outbreak of salmonella, and an overview of respiratory virus epidemiology in the EU/EEA.
Since the beginning of the 2023 transmission season and as of 15 November 2023, EU/EEA countries have reported 695 human cases of WNV infection. In the same period, 137 outbreaks among equids and 243 outbreaks among birds have been reported by EU/EEA countries.
Since the beginning of the 2023 transmission season and as of 15 November 2023, EU/EEA countries have reported 695 human cases of WNV infection in Italy.
In 2023 and until the beginning of November, over 4.5 million cases and over 4 000 dengue-related deaths have been reported from 80 countries/territories globally.