European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

#JustPublished! During 2023 and until April 2024, EU/EEA countries have reported nearly 60000 cases of #pertussis - a more than ten-fold increase compared to 2022 and 2021. 𝗔 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 Pertussis - an endemic disease causes larger epidemics every three-to-five years even in countries with high vaccination coverage, remains a significant public health challenge. The increased levels of pertussis can be linked to a number of factors, including expected epidemic peaks, individuals who are not vaccinated or who don’t have up-to-date vaccinations, waning immunity and decreased natural boosting in the overall population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infants under six months, unimmunised or partially immunised, face the highest risk of severe disease outcomes, with the majority of pertussis-related hospitalisation and deaths occurring in this vulnerable age group. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 Public health authorities are encouraged to strengthen vaccination programmes and to achieve and sustain high vaccination coverage, including timely and full completion of primary immunisation series and subsequent booster doses, according to national recommendations. In addition, pertussis immunisation during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy is highly effective in preventing disease and death amongst newborns that are still too young to be vaccinated. Read more in our: ➡ Rapid Risk Assessment: https://bit.ly/3WyytK6 ➡ Press release: https://bit.ly/4bjUYGK #Pertussis #WhoopingCough #UnitedInProtection #VaccinesWork

We need to raise awareness of the dangers of #AntimicrobialResistance - the silent pandemic, that becomes a major health threat to public. One of the latest projects shedding more light on the problem is The Global AMR Diary - showcasing patient stories of people, who had to struggle with antimicrobial-resistant infections. Click and learn more ➡ https://lnkd.in/dX3kzXek #GlobalAMRDiary

In the age of climate change, five EU agencies - the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Environment Agency (EEA), work in unison to respond to the challenges of today's world. A framework for action under the #OneHealth approach comes to life today, giving the environmental agencies better tools for protecting us from health threats by focusing on strategic coordination, research coordination, capacity building, stakeholder engagement and enhanced inter-agency activities. Learn more from our video and visit our dedicated One Health website to find out about the joint cooperation here: https://lnkd.in/dMSEmdVC #ECHA #ECDC #EMA #EFSA #EEA #Environment #ClimateChange #PublicHealth

Each year, 4.3 million hospital patients in the EU/EEA acquire at least one healthcare-associated infection during their hospitalisation. These data are released as part of the third point prevalence survey (#PPS) of healthcare-associated infections (#HAIs) and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals, coordinated by ECDC in 2022-2023. Respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia and healthcare-associated COVID-19, represented nearly one-third of all reported healthcare-associated infections, followed by urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, bloodstream infections, and gastrointestinal infections. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝘀𝗲 An increase was also observed for antimicrobial use compared to previous surveys. On any given day in the EU/EEA, approximately 390 000 hospitalised patients receive at least one antimicrobial agent. A particular concern is that 1 in 3 microorganisms detected in healthcare-associated infections were bacteria resistant to important antibiotics, thus limiting options for treating infected patients. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲? At least 20% of HAIs are deemed preventable by sustained and multifaceted infection prevention and control programmes (IPCs). Simple measures such as hand hygiene and ensuring that alcohol-based hand rub dispensers are available at the bedside, may considerably decrease the number of infections. More complex interventions such as ensuring an adequate number of single rooms and specialised infection prevention and control personnel, also play a crucial role in preventing the healthcare-associated infections. Early testing for the timely diagnosis of respiratory viral infections followed by the application of transmission-based precautions as well as, during periods of high prevalence of respiratory viral infections in the community, considering universal masking throughout the healthcare setting is also key. Read more about the point-prevalence study, healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in hospitals ➡ in our press release here: https://bit.ly/4dpoNYj ➡ full report: https://bit.ly/3wnOhEC

#ForMedia Marking World Hand Hygiene Day, ECDC will hold a press briefing releasing the latest data on healthcare-associated infections (#HAIs) and #antimicrobial use in European hospitals. Preliminary figures show that each year about 4.3 million patients in European hospitals acquire at least one healthcare-associated infection during their stay in the hospital. Learn more tomorrow during our #WorldHandHygieneDay2024 press conference! When? Monday 6 May - 10:00 AM CET Speakers: ➡ Andrea Ammon - ECDC Director ➡ Dominique Monnet - Head of Section #AntimicrobialResistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections Register here: https://bit.ly/3QzuKIh

Are you at #ECCMID2024? So are we! So don't be a stranger, pass by the #ECDC stand, get to know us and talk to some of our presenters! ESCMID - European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

While the European Immunization Week is slowly coming to its end, we need to talk about the facts about vaccinations all year long. Why? Because times change, the importance of routine vaccination does not. Routine vaccinations have been around in Europe for over 50 years, protecting generations from diseases previously taking a massive toll in the continent. Don't get fooled by misinformation and disinformation circling around the internet. Get your facts from verified sources and talk to your doctor. Make sure you are up-to-date with your vaccinations, protect yourself, your families and people around you. Vaccines save lives. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dQSJfFeb #EIW #UnitedInProtection #VaccinesSaveLives #VaccinesWork #ProtectingGenerations #EIW2024

🌍 From 23-26 April 2024, an important step forward was taken in the partnership between Africa CDC and ECDC, focusing on exchanging expertise in supranational surveillance. The "ECDC for Africa CDC" project aims to bolster health security in Africa by transferring knowledge and harmonizing surveillance methods.   Experts from both organizations gathered in Stockholm to address crucial areas like antimicrobial resistance, emerging diseases, and healthcare-associated infections. Key highlights included discussions on AMR surveillance methodologies and rapid risk assessments for food- and waterborne diseases.   The visit concluded with fruitful talks on risk communication principles, showcasing examples from ECDC's extensive work.    Read more: https://bit.ly/3wkwIFr   This collaboration underscores the commitment to strengthening health security! #AfricaCDC #ECDC #HealthSecurity 🌐🔬

✨ Funding opportunities for abstract presenters at ESCAIDE When submitting an abstract for #ESCAIDE2024, you can also apply to receive funding to cover travel and accommodation to the conference in Stockholm. Don’t miss this chance to present your research – in person – at #ECDC’s annual scientific conference on applied infectious disease epidemiology, where you can network with experts and peers from across Europe and the world. 🚀 Learn more about the ESCAIDE Funding Initiative and see the full list of eligibility criteria on the ESCAIDE website: https://brnw.ch/21wJcpj 📅 Make sure you submit your abstract by 15 May: https://brnw.ch/21wJcpl and subscribe to the monthly newsletter to keep up-to-date with all things ESCAIDE: https://brnw.ch/21wJcpk

New ECDC e-learning available! As part of a larger initiative to capacitate countries on preparedness emergency and response, we have launched an e-learning about “Recovery from infectious disease outbreaks: From lessons learned to lessons identified”. Recovery is a part of the preparedness cycle that is often neglected, yet, of crucial importance. In the context of infectious disease outbreaks, it is hard to visualise and describe what recovery even means, as the impact is virtually invisible except to those directly affected. During this e-learning, you will be exposed to the concept of recovery and its importance, stakeholders that may be involved, and the process of action planning, taking into consideration lessons identified during the recovery phase. Who can participate? The training is intended for public health professionals interested in the preparedness process. It consists of interactive elements, a case scenario, integrated quizzes, and an evaluation. Enrol on the ECDC's Virtual Academy page here: https://bit.ly/EVARecovery