According to the latest report on infectious disease threats released by the European Health Organization, the current influenza positivity rate in Europe is 29%, the most common of which are respiratory infections, while the positivity rate for Covid-19 is 2%, with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) ) has a positive rate of 5%. European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Twenty-two EU/EEA countries reported attendance rates for patients with respiratory illnesses in the week 18-24 February. The data shows one country has a low incidence of acute respiratory infection (ARI), three countries have an average incidence and one has a very high incidence. Seasonal influenza activity above the 10% positivity threshold was observed in sentinel primary care in 18 of the 20 countries that reported testing. Of the 23 countries reporting qualitative assessments of seasonal influenza activity, all but one reported levels above baseline, with two countries reporting higher levels and one country reporting lower levels. Of 841 cases of seasonal influenza detected in primary care, 782 (93%) were classified as influenza A viruses. For Covid-19, the estimated distribution of variants of concern (VOC) or variants of interest (VOI) is 92% (83-95%) for infection with BA.2.86 (including the JN.1 strain) and 92% (83-95%) for XBB.1.5 The infection rate is 2% (0-7%), and the 1.5-like infection rate is 0%. The proportion of BA.2.86 continues to grow, while XBB.1.5-like+F456L and XBB.1.5 show a downward trend. According to the report, symptom surveillance in primary and secondary care showed that respiratory activity remained elevated and above baseline levels, primarily driven by influenza. All indicators point to high influenza activity in the EU/EEA, but it appears to have declined slightly over the past two weeks. Most reporting countries continue to report moderate or high levels of influenza intensity, widespread geographic spread, and influenza-like illness rates above baseline values. RSV activity has declined overall in the EU and EEA, but national conditions remain mixed. EU/EEA countries have lower SARS-CoV-2 activity.
