Brussels, 07/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - In Stockholm on 7 June, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published its first annual report on infectious diseases, “Microbes without borders: key facts on infectious diseases in Europe”. While stressing that member states' fight against the 49 infectious diseases examined by the ECDC can be considered as being generally effective, the report, which deals with only the 25 member states that the EU had in 2005, plus Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway, also notes numerous problems which remain and challenges to be met.
Among the problems which require urgent action from member states are nosocomial infections, which are far too widespread: every year in the EU three million people contract an infection in hospital, resulting in 50,000 deaths. The rise in the numbers of HIV infections is also worrying. It is currently estimated that 700,000 people in the EU are carrying this virus, with the ECDC estimating that around 30% of these are unaware that they are infected. The increase in drug-resistant microbes is another area of concern. This is the case with many strains of bacteria and viruses, such as HIV, and the ECDC speaks, too, of tuberculosis (in the Baltic States 18% of TB cases are from drug resistant strains), MRSA and clostridium difficile. While the incidence of hepatitis B appears to be falling in the general population and infections related to virus C are now the main problem for public health, the ECDC highlights the lack of data on these infections. Europe has fared rather well in terms of seasonal flu over the last ten years, but the ECDC calls for continued vigilance on seasonal flu and the possible outbreak of a flu pandemic (or a form of SARS). The expanding use of cooling towers in Europe has been accompanied by an increase in the numbers of cases of Legionnaires' disease, which affected older people in particular. The ECDC calls on member states to closely monitor the food chain and water resources, especially for cryptosporidium, listeriosis and toxoplasmosis. The levels of salmonellosis and shigellosis contamination would appear to be falling. The effects of climate change should also be monitored, especially because of the increased risks of illnesses carried by insects (ticks in particular) and other small animals.
To end on a positive note: the incidence of most infectious diseases has fallen sharply over the last decade; vaccination programmes are effective (ECDC quotes the examples of measles and rubella); polio has been eradicated (the last case was in 1992). (oj)