Browsing by Author "Koliou, Maria"
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- Meningococcal serogroup Y disease in Europe: Continuation of high importance in some European regions in 2013Publication . Bröker, Michael; Emonet, Stéphane; Fazio, Cecilia; Jacobsson, Susanne; Koliou, Maria; Kuusi, Markku; Pace, David; Paragi, Metka; Pysik, Alexander; Simões, Maria João; Skoczynska, Anna; Stefanelli, Paola; Toropainen, Maija; Taha, Muhamed Kheir; Tzanakaki, GeorginaNeisseria meningitidis or meningococcus is divided into 12 distinct serogroups of which A, B, C, W, X, and Y are medically most important and cause health problems in different parts of the world. The epidemiology of N. meningitidis is unpredictable over time and across geographic regions. Globally, serogoup A has been prevalent in the African “meningitis belt” whereas serogroup B and C have predominated in Europe. In a paper published earlier in this journal1, an increase in serogroup Y invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in some European countries was reported based on the epidemiological data for 2010, 2011 and 2012. Here, we report additional data from 30 European countries indicating that high or increased serogroup Y disease levels have continued in 2013 in certain regions of Europe. In the Western and Central Europe, there were no major changes in the proportion of serogroup Y IMD cases in 2013 compared to 2012. In the Scandinavian countries, proportion of serogroup Y disease remained high, ranging from 26% to 51% in 2013. This was in contrast to Baltic, Eastern and most Southern European countries, where the proportion of serogroup Y IMD was low similarly to previous years. For the last 2 decades, the mean age of patients affected by serogroup Y was 41 y for 7 countries from which data was available and 50% of cases were in patients aged 45 to 88 y. The age distribution of serogroup Y was bimodal and did not change significantly despite the increase of the total number and the proportion of serogroup Y IMD in some European regions.
- Predominance of influenza virus A(H3N2) 3C.2a1b and A(H1N1)pdm09 6B.1A5A genetic subclades in the WHO European Region, 2018–2019Publication . Melidou, Angeliki; Hungnes, Olav; Pereyaslov, Dmitriy; Adlhoch, Cornelia; Segaloff, Hannah; Robesyn, Emmanuel; Penttinen, Pasi; Olsen, Sonja J.; Redlberger-Fritz, Monika; Popow-Kraupp, Therese; Hasibra, Iris; Simaku, Artan; Thomas, Isabelle; Barbezange, Cyril; Dedeić-Ljubović, Amela; Rodić-Vukmir, Nina; Korsun, Neli; Angenova, Svetla; Draženović, Vladimir; Koliou, Maria; Pieridou, Despo; Havlickova, Martina; Nagy, Alexander; Trebbien, Ramona; Galiano, Monica; Thompson, Catherine; Ikonen, Niina; Haveri, Anu; Behillil, Sylvie; Enouf, Vincent; Valette, Martine; Lina, Bruno; Gavashelidze, Mari; Machablishvili, Ann; Gioula, Georgia; Exindari, Maria; Kossyvakis, Athanasios; Mentis, Andreas; Dürrwald, Ralf; Zsuzsanna, Molnar; Monika, Rozsa; Löve, Arthur; Erna, Gudrun; Dunford, Linda; Fitzpatrick, Sarah; Castrucci, Maria Rita; Puzelli, Simona; Sagymbay, Altynay; Nussupbayeva, Gaukhar; Zamjatina, Natalija; Pakarna, Gatis; Griskevičius, Algirdas; Skrickiene, Asta; Fournier, Guillaume; Mossong, Joel; Melillo, Jackie; Zahra, Graziella; Meijer, Adam; Fouchier, Ron; McCaughey, Conall; O'Doherty, Mark; Bragstad, Karoline; Guiomar, Raquel; Pechirra, Pedro; Apostol, Mariana; Alina, Druc; Lazar, Mihaela; Maria, Cherciu Carmen; Komissarov, Andrey; Burtseva, Elena; Gunson, Rory N.; Shepherd, Samantha; Tichá, Elena; Staronova, Edita; Prosenc, Katarina; Berginc, Nataša; Pozo, Francisco; Casas, Inmaculada; Brytting, Mia; Wiman, Åsa; Gonçalves, Ana Rita; Demchyshyna, Iryna; Mironenko, Alla; Moore, Catherine; Cottrell, Simon; European Region influenza surveillance networkBackground: The 2018/2019 influenza season in the WHO European Region was dominated by influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 and (H3N2) viruses, with very few influenza B viruses detected. Methods: Countries in the European Region reported virus characterization data to The European Surveillance System for weeks 40/2018 to 20/2019. These virus antigenic and genetic characterization and haemagglutinin (HA) sequence data were analysed to describe and assess circulating viruses relative to the 2018/2019 vaccine virus components for the northern hemisphere. Results: Thirty countries reported 4776 viruses characterized genetically and 3311 viruses antigenically. All genetically characterized A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses fell in subclade 6B.1A, of which 90% carried the amino acid substitution S183P in the HA gene. Antigenic data indicated that circulating A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses were similar to the 2018/2019 vaccine virus. Genetic data showed that A(H3N2) viruses mostly fell in clade 3C.2a (75%) and 90% of which were subclade 3C.2a1b. A lower proportion fell in clade 3C.3a (23%) and were antigenically distinct from the vaccine virus. All B/Victoria viruses belonged to clade 1A; 30% carried a double amino acid deletion in HA and were genetically and antigenically similar to the vaccine virus component, while 55% carried a triple amino acid deletion or no deletion in HA; these were antigenically distinct from each other and from the vaccine component. All B/Yamagata viruses belonged to clade 3 and were antigenically similar to the virus component in the quadrivalent vaccine for 2018/2019. Conclusions: A simultaneous circulation of genetically and antigenically diverse A(H3N2) and B/Victoria viruses was observed and represented a challenge to vaccine strain selection.
- Vaccination of healthcare personnel in Europe: update to current policiesPublication . Maltezou, Helena C.; Botelho-Nevers, Elisabeth; Brantsæter, Arne B.; Carlsson, Rose-Marie; Heininger, Ulrich; Hübschen, Judith M.; Josefsdottir, Kamilla S.; Kassianos, George; Kyncl, Jan; Ledda, Caterina; Medić, Snežana; Nitsch-Osuch, Aneta; de Lejarazu, Raul Ortiz; Theodoridou, Maria; Van Damme, Pierre; van Essen, Gerrit A.; Wicker, Sabine; Wiedermann, Ursula; Poland, Gregory A.; Bino, Silvia; Wiedermann, Ursula; Van Damme, Pierre; Filipova, Radosveta; Draženović, Vladimir; Koliou, Maria; Fabianova, Katerina; Kyncl, Jan; Heilmann Jensen, Lise; Filippova, Irina; Elonsalo, Ulpu; Botelho-Nevers, Elisabeth; Wicker, Sabine; Maltezou, Helena C.; Theodoridou, Maria; Molnár, Zsuzsanna; Sigridur Josefsdottir, Kamilla; Sisson, Lynda; Ledda, Caterina; Perevoscikovs, Jurijs; Savrasova, Larisa; Caplinskas, Saulius; Berthet, Françoise; Hübschen, Judith M; Borg, Michael; Cirstea, Olga; Essen, Gerrit A. van; Brantsæter, Arne B.; Nitsch-Osuch, Aneta; Graça, Silva; Falup-Pecurariu, Oana; Mikheeva, Irina; Medić, Snežana; Kollárová, Dagmar; Mrvic, Tatjana; de Lejarazu, Raúl Ortiz; Carlsson, Rose-Marie; Roth, Adam; Heininger, Ulrich; Chernyshova, Liudmyla; Lapiy, Fedir; Kassianos, George; Poland, Gregory A.; Vaccination Policies for HCP in Europe Study GroupWe investigated and compared current national vaccination policies for health-care personnel (HCP) in Europe with results from our previous survey. Data from 36 European countries were collected using the same methodology as in 2011. National policies for HCP immunization were in place in all countries. There were significant differences in terms of number of vaccinations, target HCP and healthcare settings, and implementation regulations (recommended or mandatory vaccinations). Vaccination policies against hepatitis B and seasonal influenza were present in 35 countries each. Policies for vaccination of HCP against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella existed in 28, 24, 25 and 19 countries, respectively; and against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and poliomyelitis in 21, 20, 19, and 18 countries, respectively. Recommendations for hepatitis A immunization existed in 17 countries, and against meningococcus B, meningococcus C, meningococcus A, C, W, Y, and tuberculosis in 10, 8, 17, and 7 countries, respectively. Mandatory vaccination policies were found in 13 countries and were a pre-requisite for employment in ten. Comparing the vaccination programs of the 30 European countries that participated in the 2011 survey, we found that more countries had national vaccination policies against measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A, diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, pertussis, meningococcus C and/or meningococcus A, C, W, Y; and more of these implemented mandatory vaccination policies for HCP. In conclusion, European countries now have more comprehensive national vaccination programs for HCP, however there are still gaps. Given the recent large outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in Europe and the occupational risk for HCP, vaccination policies need to be expanded and strengthened in several European countries. Overall, vaccination policies for HCP in Europe should be periodically re-evaluated in order to provide optimal protection against vaccine-preventable diseases and infection control within healthcare facilities for HCP and patients.