This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 26 November - 2 December 2023 and includes updates on human infection with influenza A(H1N2)v, influenza A(H5N1), an overview of respiratory virus epidemiology in the EU/EEA, respiratory infections due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the EU/EEA, HIV/AIDS surveillance 2023 (2022 data), West Nile virus, SARS-CoV-2 variant classification, and poliomyelitis.
Rubella is a mild febrile rash illness caused by rubella virus. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets (the virus is present in throat secretions). It affects mainly, but not only, children and when pregnant women are infected, it may result in malformation of the foetus. Humans are the only reservoir of infection.
Since the beginning of the 2023 transmission season and as of 29 November 2023, EU/EEA countries have reported 707 human cases, 147 outbreaks among equids and 246 outbreaks among birds.
Poliovirus is highly contagious and infected individuals shed virus in the faeces and from oral secretions, thus the mode of transmission is person-to-person, both via the faecal-oral and the oral-oral routes.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 19 - 25 November 2023 and includes updates on updates SARS-CoV-2 variant classifications, the increase of pediatric respiratory infections in China, Avian influenza in fur farms, West Nile virus, cholera, and an overview of respiratory virus epidemiology.