Eurosurveillance - Volume 14, Issue 7, 19 February 2009

Swine are susceptible to the same influenza A virus subtypes as humans – H1N1, H3N2 and H1N2 - and the histories of influenza in pigs and people are closely linked. Many swine influenza viruses are a result of reassortment and their genes are composed of human and avian and/or swine virus genes. Indeed, it is known that both human and avian influenza viruses occasionally transmit to pigs, and that pigs can serve as "mixing vessels" for these viruses, meaning that viruses can exchange genetic material and lead to the production of a new "hybrid" virus. This has led to the thinking that perhaps pandemic viruses could emerge following reassortment in pigs. However, since nobody has observed the start of a pandemic, there remains no direct evidence to make this more than a theory.

A human case of swine influenza A (H1N1) in a 50-year-old woman from a village near Teruel (Aragón, in the north-east of Spain), with a population of about 200 inhabitants, has been reported in November 2008.

In the last quarter of 2008, an outbreak of mumps occurred in Luxembourg affecting initially 10 young adults at a military centre. Following a mass vaccination campaign, no further clinical cases were observed. 90% of 136 vaccine recipients were IgG positive one month after vaccination compared to 54% before vaccination. Until 31 December 2008, 19 mumps cases were also reported from the community. The outbreak strain belonged to genogroup G.

In this report we describe a case of typhoid fever in a Czech patient with history of travel to India and discuss antibiotic treatment failure which led to the relapse of fever.

We report the findings of the first case-control study conducted in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to determine risk factors for sporadic Campylobacter infections. A total of 197 cases and 296 case-nominated controls matched for age, were included. Based on Population Attributable Fraction (PAF), the most important risk factors were consuming chicken [adjusted matched (am) OR 6.8; 95%CI 2.1-21.9], consuming lettuce (amOR 3.3; 95%CI 1.5-7.1) and eating in takeaways (amOR=3.1; 95%CI 1.4-6.6). Contact with sheep (amOR=11; 95%CI 1.6-78), peptic ulcer (amOR=19; 95%CI 3.8-93.7), hiatus hernia (amOR=20.3; 95%CI 2.3-183.3), lower bowel problems (amOR=4.5; 95%CI 1.2-16.8) were also independently associated with infection. Mains water supply showed protective effect (amOR=0.2; 95 CI 0.1-0.9). The findings highlight the continued need for consumer food safety education and further control measures throughout the food chain on the island of Ireland.