-
Changing urban environments and effects on infectious diseases
Submit your articles now
-
What are the building blocks in the EU Health Union?
Find out in our new collection
-
Explaining your work in a clear, accessible way - the key public health message box
Click for more info
-
From surveillance and detection of SARS-CoV-2 to vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19
Check out our COVID-19 articles collection
Eurosurveillance
Since 1995, Eurosurveillance has provided the European public health community with an open-access platform to exchange relevant findings on communicable disease surveillance, prevention and control. A weekly, electronic, peer-reviewed publication, Eurosurveillance aims to provide timely facts and guidance for public health professionals and decision-makers in the field of infectious disease to facilitate the implementation of effective prevention and control measures. Impact factor: 19. More...
Latest Issue: Volume 29, Issue 12, 21 March 2024 Latest Issue RSS feed
- Rapid communication
-
-
-
Tuberculosis in people of Ukrainian origin in the European Union and the European Economic Area, 2019 to 2022
Approximately five million Ukrainians were displaced to the EU/EEA following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While tuberculosis (TB) notification rates per 100,000 Ukrainians in the EU/EEA remained stable, the number of notified TB cases in Ukrainians increased almost fourfold (mean 2019–2021: 201; 2022: 780). In 2022, 71% cases were notified in three countries, and almost 20% of drug-resistant TB cases were of Ukrainian origin. Targeted healthcare services for Ukrainians are vital for early diagnosis and treatment, and preventing transmission.
-
- Top
-
- Research
-
-
-
Characteristic SNPs defining the major multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis clusters identified by EuSeqMyTB to support routine surveillance, EU/EEA, 2017 to 2019
BackgroundThe EUSeqMyTB project, conducted in 2020, used whole genome sequencing (WGS) for surveillance of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and identified 56 internationally clustered multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) clones.
AimWe aimed to define and establish a rapid and computationally simple screening method to identify probable members of the main cross-border MDR-TB clusters in WGS data to facilitate their identification and track their future spread.
MethodsWe screened 34 of the larger cross-border clusters identified in the EuSeqMyTB pilot study (2017–19) for characteristic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) signatures that could identify and define members of each cluster. We also linked this analysis with published clusters identified in previous studies and identified more distant genetic relationships between some of the current clusters.
ResultsA panel of 30 characteristic SNPs is presented that can be used as an initial (routine) screen for members of each cluster. For four of the clusters, no unique defining SNP could be identified; three of these are closely related (within approximately 20 SNPs) to one or more other clusters and likely represent a single established MDR-TB clade composed of multiple recent subclusters derived from the previously described ECDC0002 cluster.
ConclusionThe identified SNP signatures can be integrated into routine pipelines and contribute to the more effective monitoring, rapid and widespread screening for TB. This SNP panel will also support accurate communication between laboratories about previously identified internationally transmitted MDR-TB genotypes.
-
-
-
Prevalence estimates of tuberculosis infection in adults in Denmark: a retrospective nationwide register-based cross-sectional study, 2010 to 2018
BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) elimination requires identifying and treating persons with TB infection (TBI).
AimWe estimate the prevalence of positive interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) tests (including TB) and TBI (excluding TB) in Denmark based on TBI screening data from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or inflammatory rheumatic disease (IRD).
MethodsUsing nationwide Danish registries, we included all patients with IBD or IRD with an IGRA test performed between 2010 and 2018. We estimated the prevalence of TBI and positive IGRA with 95% confidence intervals (CI) in adolescents and adults aged 15–64 years after sample weighting adjusting for distortions in the sample from the background population of Denmark for sex, age group and TB incidence rates (IR) in country of birth.
ResultsIn 13,574 patients with IBD or IRD, 12,892 IGRA tests (95.0%) were negative, 461 (3.4%) were positive and 221 (1.6%) were indeterminate, resulting in a weighted TBI prevalence of 3.2% (95% CI: 2.9–3.5) and weighted positive IGRA prevalence of 3.8% (95% CI: 3.5–4.2) among adults aged 15–64 years in the background population of Denmark. Unweighted TBI prevalence increased with age and birthplace in countries with a TB IR higher than 10/100,000 population.
ConclusionEstimated TBI prevalence is low in Denmark. We estimate that 200,000 persons have TBI and thus are at risk of developing TB. Screening for TBI and preventive treatment, especially in persons born in high TB incidence countries or immunosuppressed, are crucial to reduce the risk of and eliminate TB.
-
- Top
-
- Review
-
-
-
Cost-effectiveness of active tuberculosis screening among high-risk populations in low tuberculosis incidence countries: a systematic review, 2008 to 2023
BackgroundIn countries with a low TB incidence (≤ 10 cases/100,000 population), active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) mostly affects vulnerable populations with limited access to healthcare. Thus, passive case-finding systems may not be successful in detecting and treating cases and preventing further transmission. Active and cost-effective search strategies can overcome this problem.
AimWe aimed to review the evidence on the cost-effectiveness (C-E) of active PTB screening programmes among high-risk populations in low TB incidence countries.
MethodsWe performed a systematic literature search covering 2008–2023 on PubMed, Embase, Center for Reviews and Dissemination, including Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), National Health Services Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED), Global Index Medicus and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL).
ResultsWe retrieved 6,318 articles and included nine in this review. All included studies had an active case-finding approach and used chest X-ray, tuberculin skin test, interferon-gamma release assay and a symptoms questionnaire for screening. The results indicate that screening immigrants from countries with a TB incidence > 40 cases per 100,000 population and other vulnerable populations as individuals from isolated communities, people experiencing homelessness, those accessing drug treatment services and contacts, is cost-effective in low-incidence countries.
ConclusionIn low-incidence countries, targeting high-risk groups is C-E. However, due to the data heterogenicity, we were unable to compare C-E. Harmonisation of the methods for C-E analysis is needed and would facilitate comparisons. To outline comprehensive screening and its subsequent C-E analysis, researchers should consider multiple factors influencing screening methods and outcomes.
-
- Top
-
- Author's correction
-
Recent articles
-
-
-
High proportion of post-migration HIV acquisition in migrant men who have sex with men receiving HIV care in the Paris region, and associations with social disadvantage and sexual behaviours: results of the ANRS-MIE GANYMEDE study, France, 2021 to 2022
Romain Palich , Andrés Arias-Rodríguez , Martin Duracinsky , Jean-Yves Le Talec , Olivia Rousset Torrente , Caroline Lascoux-Combe , Karine Lacombe , Jade Ghosn , Jean-Paul Viard , Gilles Pialoux , Michel Ohayon , Claudine Duvivier , Annie Velter , Mohamed Ben Mechlia , Lydie Beniguel , Sophie Grabar , Maria Melchior , Lambert Assoumou , Virginie Supervie and GANYMEDE study group
-
-
-
Ongoing mpox outbreak in Kamituga, South Kivu province, associated with monkeypox virus of a novel Clade I sub-lineage, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2024
Leandre Murhula Masirika , Jean Claude Udahemuka , Leonard Schuele , Pacifique Ndishimye , Saria Otani , Justin Bengehya Mbiribindi , Jean M. Marekani , Léandre Mutimbwa Mambo , Nadine Malyamungu Bubala , Marjan Boter , David F. Nieuwenhuijse , Trudie Lang , Ernest Balyahamwabo Kalalizi , Jean Pierre Musabyimana , Frank M. Aarestrup , Marion Koopmans , Bas B. Oude Munnink and Freddy Belesi Siangoli
-
-
-
- More Less