Giuseppe
Emeritus
[Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), full PDF document: (LINK). Extract.]
COMMUNICABLE DISEASE THREATS REPORT
Week 34, 18-24 August 2013
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West Nile virus - Multistate (Europe) - Monitoring season 2013
Opening date: 3 June 2013 Latest update: 22 August 2013
Epidemiological summary
As of 22 August 2013, 42 human cases of West Nile fever have been reported in the EU and 176 cases in neighbouring countries since the beginning of the 2013 transmission season.
EU Member States
ECDC assessment
The 2013 season has started and is progressing in comparable fashion to previous years in EU and neighbouring countries. West Nile fever in humans is a notifiable disease in the EU.
The implementation of control measures are considered important for ensuring blood safety by the national health authorities when human cases of West Nile fever occur.
According to the EU blood directive, efforts should be made to defer blood donations from affected areas with ongoing virus transmission to humans.
Actions
ECDC produces weekly West Nile fever risk maps during the transmission season to inform blood safety authorities regarding affected areas. ECDC published a West Nile fever risk assessment tool on 3 July 2013.
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COMMUNICABLE DISEASE THREATS REPORT
Week 34, 18-24 August 2013
(...)
West Nile virus - Multistate (Europe) - Monitoring season 2013
Opening date: 3 June 2013 Latest update: 22 August 2013
Epidemiological summary
As of 22 August 2013, 42 human cases of West Nile fever have been reported in the EU and 176 cases in neighbouring countries since the beginning of the 2013 transmission season.
EU Member States
- Austria
- One confirmed case in the area of Sankt P?lten.
- Greece
- Thirty-five cases of WNF have been reported in Greece. The regions affected are Attiki (20), Imathia (1), Kavala (4), Thessaloniki (4) and Xanthi (4). For two cases reported this week the place of infection is still not available.
- Italy
- Four cases of WNF have been reported in Italy. The regions affected are Rovigo province (1), Ferrara (1), Modena (2).
- Hungary
- Hungary reported one case of WNF in Pest county. This area had already been affected in 2012.
- Romania
- Romania reported one case of WNF in Galati county, area affected in 2011 and 2010.
- Israel
- Thirty-three cases have been reported in the Central, Haifa and Tel Aviv districts.
- Montenegro
- Montenegro reported its first case this year in Podgorica region, an area already suspected to be affected last year.
- Russia
- Seventy cases of WNF have been reported in from nine oblasts in Russia: Adygeya oblast (1), Astrakhanskaya oblast (20), Lipetskaya oblast (2), Rostovskaya oblast (4), Samarskaya oblast (8), Saratovskaya oblast (8), Volgogradskaya oblast (24), Voronezhskaya oblast (1) and the newly affected Belgorodskaya oblast (2).
- Serbia
- Seventy-one cases of WNF have been reported from eight districts of Serbia: Grad Beograd (50), Podunavski (4), Sremski (3), Juzno-backi (1), Juzno-banatski (8), Kolubarski (3), Macvanski (1) and the newly affected Branicevski district (1).
- The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- One case has been reported in Kocani (Eastern Macedonia).
ECDC assessment
The 2013 season has started and is progressing in comparable fashion to previous years in EU and neighbouring countries. West Nile fever in humans is a notifiable disease in the EU.
The implementation of control measures are considered important for ensuring blood safety by the national health authorities when human cases of West Nile fever occur.
According to the EU blood directive, efforts should be made to defer blood donations from affected areas with ongoing virus transmission to humans.
Actions
ECDC produces weekly West Nile fever risk maps during the transmission season to inform blood safety authorities regarding affected areas. ECDC published a West Nile fever risk assessment tool on 3 July 2013.
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