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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: 9.9. More...
Latest Issue: Volume 29, Issue 26, 27 June 2024 Latest Issue RSS feed
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Oropouche fever cases diagnosed in Italy in two epidemiologically non-related travellers from Cuba, late May to early June 2024
Oropouche fever is caused by Oropouche virus (OROV), transmitted primarily through the bite of infected midges, particularly of the genus Culicoides. The virus is mainly circulating in Central and South America where several countries reported an ongoing outbreak. We report here two imported cases of OROV infection identified in Italy, late May–early June 2024. These cases indicate that in the shadow of a massive dengue outbreak in the Americas, the Oropouche outbreak might be more widespread than previously estimated.
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- Outbreaks
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Nosocomial outbreak caused by disinfectant-resistant Serratia marcescens in an adult intensive care unit, Hungary, February to March 2022
In 2022, an outbreak with severe bloodstream infections caused by Serratia marcescens occurred in an adult intensive care unit (ICU) in Hungary. Eight cases, five of whom died, were detected. Initial control measures could not stop the outbreak. We conducted a matched case–control study. In univariable analysis, the cases were more likely to be located around one sink in the ICU and had more medical procedures and medications than the controls, however, the multivariable analysis was not conclusive. Isolates from blood cultures of the cases and the ICU environment were closely related by whole genome sequencing and resistant or tolerant against the quaternary ammonium compound surface disinfectant used in the ICU. Thus, S. marcescens was able to survive in the environment despite regular cleaning and disinfection. The hospital replaced the disinfectant with another one, tightened the cleaning protocol and strengthened hand hygiene compliance among the healthcare workers. Together, these control measures have proved effective to prevent new cases. Our results highlight the importance of multidisciplinary outbreak investigations, including environmental sampling, molecular typing and testing for disinfectant resistance.
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- Research
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A longitudinal study on SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion, reinfection and neutralisation spanning several variant waves and vaccination campaigns, Heinsberg, Germany, April 2020 to November 2022
Bianca Schulte , Enrico Richter , Antonia Büning , Maximilian Baum , Annika Breuer , Jasmin Zorn , Julia König , Melanie Geiger , Monika Eschbach-Bludau , Johanna Heuser , Dominik Zölzer , Marek Korencak , Ronja Hollstein , Eva Beins , Dorian Emmert , Souhaib Aldabbagh , Anna Maria Eis-Hübinger and Hendrik StreeckBackgroundSince its emergence in December 2019, over 700 million people worldwide have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 up to May 2024. While early rollout of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 has saved many lives, there was increasing immune escape of new virus variants. Longitudinal monitoring of population-wide SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses from regular sample collection irrespective of symptoms provides representative data on infection and seroconversion/seroreversion rates.
AimTo examine adaptive and cellular immune responses of a German SARS-CoV-2 outbreak cohort through several waves of infection with different virus variants.
MethodsUtilising a 31-month longitudinal seroepidemiological study (n = 1,446; mean age: 50 years, range: 2–103) initiated during the first SARS-CoV-2 superspreading event (February 2020) in Heinsberg, Germany, we analysed acute infection, seroconversion and virus neutralisation at five follow-up visits between October 2020 and November 2022; cellular and cross-protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants were also examined.
ResultsSARS-CoV-2 spike (S)-specific IgAs decreased shortly after infection, while IgGs remained stable. Both increased significantly after vaccination. We predict an 18-month half-life of S IgGs upon infection. Nucleocapsid (N)-specific responses declined over 12 months post-infection but increased (p < 0.0001) during Omicron. Frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-specific TNF-alpha+/IFN-gamma+ CD4+ T-cells declined over 12 months after infection (p < 0.01). SARS-CoV-2 S antibodies and neutralisation titres were highest in triple-vaccinated participants infected between April 2021 and November 2022 compared with infections between April 2020 and January 2021. Cross neutralisation against Omicron BQ.1.18 and XBB.1.5 was very low in all groups.
ConclusionInfection and/or vaccination did not provide the population with cross-protection against Omicron variants.
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Recent articles
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Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infections on fur farms connected to mass mortalities of black-headed gulls, Finland, July to October 2023
Lauri Kareinen , Niina Tammiranta , Ari Kauppinen , Bianca Zecchin , Ambra Pastori , Isabella Monne , Calogero Terregino , Edoardo Giussani , Riikka Kaarto , Veera Karkamo , Tanja Lähteinen , Hanna Lounela , Tuija Kantala , Ilona Laamanen , Tiina Nokireki , Laura London , Otto Helve , Sohvi Kääriäinen , Niina Ikonen , Jari Jalava , Laura Kalin-Mänttäri , Anna Katz , Carita Savolainen-Kopra , Erika Lindh , Tarja Sironen , Essi M Korhonen , Kirsi Aaltonen , Monica Galiano , Alice Fusaro and Tuija Gadd
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