Weekly releases (1997–2007) - Volume 8, Issue 40, 30 September 2004

A startup event was held for the new European Union agency, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, in Stockholm on 27 September, in preparation for the operational start date of May 2005

An outbreak of hepatitis A in gay men in southeast London has been identified. Nine cases have so far been reported, all with symptom onset dates between mid-August and mid-September 2004

The entire genome of the intracellular pathogenic bacterium Legionella pneumophila has been sequenced according to a recently published report. This species is one of 49 species belonging to the Legionella genus and is the most frequent cause of legionella infection in humans

Two new human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) infection in Thailand have been confirmed by the World Health Organization. The two cases were in a 26 year old woman who has died, and her 32 year old sister who has been admitted to hospital. They are part of a family cluster being investigated to determine whether human-to-human transmission has occurred.

A Daubenton’s bat (Myotis daubentonii) infected with European Bat Lyssavirus type-2 (EBLV-2) has been reported in the United Kingdom (UK). On 17 September, the infected bat was found lying on a road by a person in a town in southern England.