Weekly releases (1997–2007) - Volume 8, Issue 19, 06 May 2004

In March 2004, a 61 year old female intravenous drug user (IDU) was taken to hospital because she was found unwell at home. She was a long-term drug user who reportedly injected heroin intramuscularly.

The Lithuanian Centre for Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control (CCDPC, Užkreciamuju ligu profilaktikos ir kontroles centras) in Vilnius was established in 1997 after the reorganisation of the State Immunisation Centre and the Department of Communicable Diseases at the State Public Health Centre

The Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic fulfils the role of the executive body of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic. The Authority‘s operations cover the whole of the Slovak Republic

The Medical and Public Health Services of the Ministry of Health of Cyprus have recently developed a new Network for the Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases

Three influenza pandemics occurred during the twentieth century: “Spanish flu” in 1918-1920, “Asian flu” in 1957-1958 and “Hong Kong flu” in 1968-1969.

If a new pandemic strain of influenza emerges in the near future, there will almost certainly be, at best, only a limited supply of vaccine and initial control efforts will have to depend on other measures.