Eurosurveillance - Volume 15, Issue 28, 15 July 2010

We conducted a prospective household transmission study to examine whether receipt of 2009 trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) was associated with increased risk of influenza-like illness (ILI) among contacts of confirmed pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 patients. In the week following onset of pandemic illness in a household member, 46 (15%) of 304 TIV-vaccinated contacts, and 174 (15%) of 1,162 unvaccinated contacts developed ILI (p= 0.95). Receipt of 2009 TIV had no effect on one's risk of pandemic illness. .

Fox rabies re-emerged in northeastern Italy in 2008, in an area bordering Slovenia. In 2009, the infection spread westward to Veneto region and in 2010 to the provinces of Trento and Bolzano. Aerial emergency oral fox vaccination was implemented in the winter 2009-10. Since this vaccination was performed at altitudes below the freezing level, a statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate its impact. Of the foxes sampled following the vaccination campaign, 77% showed a rabies antibody titre of ≥0.5 IU/ml.

The Greek National Reference Laboratory for Mycobacteria is a major source of tuberculosis (TB)-related data for Greece, where the TB burden and epidemiology still need to be better defined. We present data regarding newly diagnosed TB cases and resistance to anti-TB drugs during the last 15 years in Greece. Although the total number of newly detected ?? cases has declined, cases among immigrants are increasing. Resistance to first-line anti-TB drugs is widely prevalent, although stable or declining. The implementation of an efficient and effective countrywide TB surveillance system in Greece is urgently needed.

In February 2009, an outbreak of 38 cases of gastroenteritis occurred among the participants of two Dutch coach trips (A and B) who visited the same hotel in Germany. We initiated an outbreak investigation to determine possible risk of food-borne infection. A retrospective cohort study was performed among 87 passengers using a self-administered questionnaire. The response rate was 75 of 87 (86%). Mean age was 65 years. Cases were defined as participants of the two coach trips who had diarrhoea and/or vomiting at least once within 24 hours in the period between 7 and 14 February 2009. We distinguished early and late cases, with symptoms starting within or after 72 hours of arrival in the hotel. Overall attack-rate was 38 of 75 (51%). Microbiological investigation was performed on stool samples of two passengers from Coach A and two passengers from Coach B. Identical norovirus genotype II.4 sequences were detected in all four samples. Univariate analysis revealed a potential risk for early cases from juice consumption , which was most clearly seen for Coach B on day of arrival (juice at lunch: relative risk (RR): 3.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-11.7; juice at dinner: RR: 5.5, 95% CI: 1.6-18.1). A dose-response relationship was found. This outbreak was probably caused by using the taps of juice served in large containers with a tap for self-service, due to environmental contamination through person-to-person transmission. Still the role of either contaminated juice or contact with contaminated juice cannot be ruled out. .