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Changing urban environments and effects on infectious diseases
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From surveillance and detection of SARS-CoV-2 to vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19
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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: 19. More...
Latest Issue: Volume 29, Issue 20, 16 May 2024 Latest Issue RSS feed
- Rapid communication
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Increase in invasive group A streptococcal infections (iGAS) in children and older adults, Norway, 2022 to 2024
At the end of 2022 and most notably during the first half of 2023, the number of invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) notifications increased in Norway, largely affecting children younger than 10 years, as observed in several other countries. Following this atypical season, a new surge in the number of iGAS notifications began in December 2023 and peaked between January and February 2024, now particularly affecting both children younger than 10 years and older adults (70 years and above).
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Aedes albopictus is a competent vector of five arboviruses affecting human health, greater Paris, France, 2023
Aedes albopictus collected in 2023 in the greater Paris area (Île-de-France) were experimentally able to transmit five arboviruses: West Nile virus from 3 days post-infection (dpi), chikungunya virus and Usutu virus from 7 dpi, dengue virus and Zika virus from 21 dpi. Given the growing number of imported dengue cases reported in early 2024 in France, surveillance of Ae. albopictus should be reinforced during the Paris Olympic Games in July, when many international visitors including from endemic countries are expected.
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- Outbreaks
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An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease linked to a municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant, The Netherlands, September–October 2022
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are increasingly identified as Legionnaires’ disease (LD) sources. An outbreak investigation was initiated following five LD cases reported in September 2022 in Houten, the Netherlands. Case identification was based on the European LD case definition, with symptom onset from 1 September 2022, residence in or within 5 km of Houten, or visit to Houten within the incubation period, without other likely sources. We sampled potential sources and genotyped environmental and clinical isolates. We identified 15 LD cases with onset between 13 September and 23 October 2022. A spatial source identification and wind direction model suggested an industrial (iWWTP) and a municipal WWTP (mWWTP) as potential sources, with the first discharging water into the latter. Both tested positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroups 1 and 6 with multiple sequence types (ST). We detected L. pneumophila sg1 ST42 in the mWWTP, matching with one of three available clinical isolates. Following control measures at the WWTPs, no further cases were observed. This outbreak underlines that municipal and industrial WWTPs can play an important role in community LD cases and outbreaks, especially those with favourable conditions for Legionella growth and dissemination, or even non-favourable conditions for growth but with the influx of contaminated water.
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- Surveillance
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Autochthonous and imported giardiasis cases: An analysis of two decades of national surveillance data, Germany, 2002 to 2021
More LessBackgroundGiardia duodenalis is a major cause of gastroenteritis globally, and is the most common food- and waterborne parasitic infection in Europe.
AimTo describe the epidemiology of reported acute giardiasis cases in Germany and compare demographic and clinical characteristics between imported and autochthonous cases.
MethodsWe conducted a descriptive analysis of giardiasis cases that fulfilled the national case definition and were reported between January 2002 and December 2021. We defined an imported case as having at least one place of exposure abroad in the 3–25 days before symptom onset. We analysed case numbers and incidence by age, sex, month reported and geographic region, both overall and stratified by autochthonous and imported cases.
ResultsFrom 2002 to 2021, 72,318 giardiasis cases were reported in Germany, corresponding to a mean annual incidence of 4.4 per 100,000 population. Annual incidence gradually decreased since 2013, declining sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–21. Of 69,345 cases reported between 2002 and 2019, 35% were imported. Incidence of autochthonous cases (overall yearly mean: 3.1/100,000) was highest in males and young children (< 5 years); imported cases were predominantly adults aged 20–39 years. We identified seasonal patterns for imported and autochthonous cases.
ConclusionsGiardiasis in Germany is typically assumed to be imported. Our data, however, underline the importance of autochthonous giardiasis. Travel advice might reduce imported infections, but prevention strategies for autochthonous infections are less clear. Dietary, behavioural and environmental risk factors need to be further investigated to enhance infection prevention measures for autochthonous giardiasis.
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Recent articles
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The first confirmed human case of rabies, Timor-Leste, 2024
Marcelo Amaral Mali , Filipe de Neri Machado , Filomeno Pinto Moniz , Frederico Bosco Alves dos Santos , Perpetua Ana Mery Estela Laot , Ari Jayanti Pereira Tilman , Tanizio Ebryes Florindo , Cristovao de Alexandria Barros , Adriano Barbosa , Jose A Oliveira Lima , Joao Paulo Goncalves , Francisco Borges , Elisabeth Hornay , Joanico Moises , Osmenia de Jesus Neto , Liliana Varela , Agapito da Costa , Anthony DK Draper , Joshua R Francis and Merita Antonio A Monteiro
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