Since late February 2023 and as of 10 March 2023, 67 cases of botulism linked to intragastric injection of the botulism neurotoxin (BoNT) have been reported in Germany (12), Austria (1), Switzerland (1) and Türkiye (53).
The situation regarding avian influenza continues to evolve in Europe and globally, with reports of new outbreaks in birds and occasional infections in mammals. Sporadic human infections have been reported in countries outside the EU, while the risk to the public in the EU remains low.
Between 3 December 2022 and 1 March 2023 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus, clade 2.3.4.4b, was reported in Europe in domestic (522) and wild (1,138) birds over 24 countries. An unexpected number of HPAI virus detections in sea birds were observed, mainly in gull species and particularly in black-headed gulls (large mortality events were observed in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy).
The workshop organised by ECDC took place from 7 - 9 March in Tunis, upon invitation of the Tunisian National Observatory of New and Emerging Diseases (NONED).
Influenza activity had been decreasing across the Region until week 4/2023, following a peak at week 51/2022, but has fluctuated around 25% since week 6/2023 due to increased type B virus circulation.
This report provides an analysis of the spatial relationship between the presence and absence of autochthonous Leishmania spp. and clinical cases in humans and animals, and the presence and absence of their confirmed and suspected respective Phlebotomus spp. vectors, in Europe and neighbouring countries.
No human infections with avian influenza virus were reported in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) in 2021. Sporadic human infections with avian influenza virus A(H5) (including A(H5N1) and A(H5N6)), A(H9N2) and A(H10N3) infection were reported globally in 2021.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 5–11 March 2023 and includes updates on COVID-19, group A streptococcal infection, influenza, diphtheria, measles, iatrogenic botulism, poliomyelitis, and autochthonous Dengue.