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Eurosurveillance
Since 1995, Eurosurveillance has provided the European public health community with an open-access platform to exchange relevant findings on communicable disease surveillance, prevention and control. A weekly, electronic, peer-reviewed publication, Eurosurveillance aims to provide timely facts and guidance for public health professionals and decision-makers in the field of infectious disease to facilitate the implementation of effective prevention and control measures. Impact factor: 7.8. More...
Latest Issue: Volume 30, Issue 33, 21 August 2025 Latest Issue RSS feed
- Rapid communication
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Two diphtheria sub-clusters with autochthonous cases in Germany and Poland within a Corynebacterium diphtheriae ST-574 outbreak, 2022 to July 2025
Within a Corynebacterium diphtheriae ST-574 outbreak comprising mostly migration-associated cases since 2022, Germany detected two sub-clusters in 2025. Among sub-cluster cases with travel information (24/26), 22 were acquired autochthonously. One of two imported cases came from a Polish voivodeship having an additional case. Sub-cluster 1 included 16 cutaneous cases, sub-cluster 2 included six cutaneous and five respiratory cases. One unvaccinated child and two older adults died. Of 27 cases, 12 experienced homelessness. Strengthened immunisation, improved wound care and international surveillance are needed.
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Cross-border investigation of a tuberculosis outbreak in Vienna linked to a multi-country cluster among foreign-born individuals, Europe, 2021 to 2025
Fiona Költringer , Maria Koreny , Dirk Werber , Florian Heger , Alena Chalupka , Sabine Schweiger , Georg Brunner , Ursula Tuch , Ursula Karnthaler , Senia Rosales Klintz , Csaba Ködmön , Andreas Hoefer , Richard Anthony , Stefan Kroeger , Teresa Domaszewska , Lena Boes , Stefan Niemann , Teresa Walz , Martin Kuhns , Sarah Jackson , Margaret Fitzgibbon , Vanessa Mathys , Vinciane Sizaire , Daniela Maria Cirillo , Monica Sane Schepisi , Janne Oseberg Rønning , Laura Herrera-Leon , Pere-Joan Cardona , Ramona Groenheit , Mikael Mansjö , Viktória Szél , Erik Alm and Adriana CabalCollaborative genomic and epidemiological investigations identified a tuberculosis outbreak in Vienna as part of a multi-country cluster comprising 57 foreign-born cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ST215/Beijing 2.2.1 notified 2021–2025. While 14 of 16 cases in Vienna were considered autochthonous, the diverse geographic origin of clustered cases across nine European countries suggests a common transmission source, possibly linked to migratory routes. Cross-border data exchange and integrated genomic analysis are essential for identifying transmission dynamics in tuberculosis clusters affecting mobile populations.
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- Surveillance
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Surveillance of severe acute respiratory infections using ICD-10 diagnosis codes and national electronic health records, Denmark, 2022 to 2024
BACKGROUNDThe COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need and value of a standardised and timely surveillance system for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) to inform epidemic preparedness and response.
AIMWe aimed to develop an automated SARI surveillance system using electronic health records retrieved from pre-existing national health registers in Denmark.
METHODSWe used the Danish Civil Register, the Danish National Patient Register and the Danish Microbiology Database to set up the system. First, we determined a SARI case definition for surveillance, choosing among six different potentially usable combinations of ICD-10 diagnosis codes by exploring how each combination captured patient characteristics (age, hospital admission length, mortality, laboratory tests and seasonality). Second, using this case definition, we evaluated the surveillance system’s timeliness and completeness by comparing weekly data reported with a delay of 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 days, respectively, against a complete set of data extracted after 120 days.
RESULTSThe selected case definition combined ICD-10 codes for influenza (J09-J11), acute lower viral and bacterial respiratory tract infections and bronchiolitis (J12-J22) and COVID-19 (B342A and B972A). With regards to timeliness and completeness of this definition, weekly data reported with a delay of 8 days was 89–93% complete and showed very similar patterns in weekly changes in SARI cases as data reported after 120 days.
CONCLUSIONOur SARI surveillance system detected fluctuations in weekly SARI cases in a consistent and timely manner. We recommend countries to explore using electronic health registers as a resource-efficient alternative to standard SARI sentinel surveillance.
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- Research
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Novel (d)PCR assays for influenza A(H5Nx) viruses clade 2.3.4.4b surveillance
Gerhard Buttinger , Mauro Petrillo , Viviana Valastro , Sabrina Marciano , Marika Crimaudo , Valeria D’Amico , Gabriele Leoni , Renaud Seigneuric , Valentina Paracchini , Piotr Robouch , Bénédicte Lambrecht , Bernd Manfred Gawlik , Calogero Terregino , Carolina Veneri , Giuseppina La Rosa , Elisabetta Suffredini , Maddalena Querci , Valentina Panzarin and Antonio MarchiniBACKGROUNDSince March 2024, cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) caused by A(H5N1) virus of clade 2.3.4.4b have been reported in dairy cattle in the United States, followed by spillover to avian and other mammalian species including humans. Although human-to-human transmission has not been reported, the virus's ability to infect mammals and potential of adaptation raise public health concerns, necessitating enhanced monitoring and preparedness.
AIMWe aimed to develop digital RT-PCR assays to detect and quantify influenza A(H5N1) 2.3.4.4b viruses in biological and environmental samples.
METHODSWe developed two digital RT-PCR assays targeting the matrix protein (JRC-MP) and haemagglutinin (JRC-HA) genes of A(H5N1) 2.3.4.4b viruses. After in silico assessment of inclusivity and exclusivity, we evaluated the assays’ performance using RNAs from influenza A(H5N1) viruses isolated from infected animal specimens, in an inter-laboratory exercise with diverse target and non-target isolates, and on wastewater samples either negative or spiked with A(H5N1) 2.3.4.4b RNA.
RESULTSThe JRC-MP assay detects influenza A viruses of different subtypes and origins, while the JRC-HA assay specifically detects HPAI A(H5Nx) 2.3.4.4b strains. The assays demonstrated high sensitivity, showing consistent results in the inter-laboratory exercise. They also detected target RNAs in wastewater samples with high accuracy, despite background components, supporting potential use in wastewater surveillance programmes.
CONCLUSIONSAligned with One Health strategies for zoonotic avian influenza surveillance, we propose the combined use of these two assays for the rapid and sensitive detection of influenza A(H5Nx) 2.3.4.4b in biological and environmental samples to enhance monitoring and outbreak control measures.
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- Addendum
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