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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
On 17 March 2011, 37 disease and surveillance experts met in Stockholm for the first annual meeting of the European Diphtheria Surveillance Network (EDSN).
Discussed topics included the lack of appropriate treatment with diphtheria antitoxin, the increasing susceptibility to the disease of older people, and the importance of the resumption of seroprevalence studies.
Executive summary: The first annual meeting of the European Diphtheria Surveillance Network (EDSN, formerly known as DIPNET) was attended by 37 disease experts nominated for the epidemiologic and laboratory surveillance of diphtheria at the national level in the European Union Member States and Norway. The coordination of the network’s surveillance activities had been transferred to ECDC in March 2010. EDSN covers infections caused by toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Corynebacterium ulcerans and integrate s epidemiologic and laboratory surveillance of these infections in all 27 European Union and three European Economic Area Member States. National surveillance data is transmitted from the participating countries to the European Surveillance System (TESSy) database hosted at ECDC. Although diphtheria is relatively uncommon in the European Region, the original WHO elimination target for this disease (elimination of indigenous diphtheria from the Region by the year 2000) has still not been met. Transmission continues in several countries, notably Latvia, Ukraine, the Russian Federation and other countries of the former Soviet Union. Sporadic cases are still being reported in several European Union Member States. As a consequence, there is an ongoing risk of epidemic diphtheria returning to the European Region. High immunisation coverage must be sustained, adult booster coverage should be increased, and surveillance and laboratory capacity should be maintained in all countries. The EDSN meeting provided a good opportunity to meet other European disease experts, learn from experiences in the Member States, and discuss how to develop and strengthen collaboration between different partners within the surveillance network. The conclusions of the discussion are summarised on page seven. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control will bring forward issues that require agreement at a higher administrative level (for example the national surveillance contact points, EU Network Committee) and work towards implementing the suggested improvements.
Executive summary: The first annual meeting of the European Diphtheria Surveillance Network (EDSN, formerly known as DIPNET) was attended by 37 disease experts nominated for the epidemiologic and laboratory surveillance of diphtheria at the national level in the European Union Member States and Norway. The coordination of the network’s surveillance activities had been transferred to ECDC in March 2010. EDSN covers infections caused by toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Corynebacterium ulcerans and integrate s epidemiologic and laboratory surveillance of these infections in all 27 European Union and three European Economic Area Member States. National surveillance data is transmitted from the participating countries to the European Surveillance System (TESSy) database hosted at ECDC. Although diphtheria is relatively uncommon in the European Region, the original WHO elimination target for this disease (elimination of indigenous diphtheria from the Region by the year 2000) has still not been met. Transmission continues in several countries, notably Latvia, Ukraine, the Russian Federation and other countries of the former Soviet Union. Sporadic cases are still being reported in several European Union Member States. As a consequence, there is an ongoing risk of epidemic diphtheria returning to the European Region. High immunisation coverage must be sustained, adult booster coverage should be increased, and surveillance and laboratory capacity should be maintained in all countries. The EDSN meeting provided a good opportunity to meet other European disease experts, learn from experiences in the Member States, and discuss how to develop and strengthen collaboration between different partners within the surveillance network. The conclusions of the discussion are summarised on page seven. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control will bring forward issues that require agreement at a higher administrative level (for example the national surveillance contact points, EU Network Committee) and work towards implementing the suggested improvements.
Description
European Diphtheria Surveillance Network: Participant (Portugal) - Paula Lavado (Departamento de Doenças Infeciosas, INSA)
Keywords
Doenças Evitáveis pela Vacinação Difteria European Diphtheria Surveillance Network Diphtheria Europa Portugal
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Publisher
European Center for Disease Control and Prevention