The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports that respiratory virus activity in Europe remains above usual reference levels, but is trending downward. This is stated in the latest monitoring report for the week of March 25 to March 2.
The report noted that this high activity was driven by registered influenza cases, although it noted that downward trends had been seen in several countries over the past three weeks.
The overall rate of visits to family doctors for respiratory diseases shows a downward trend.
Regarding SARS-CoV2 infection, the situation with variants remains the same. BA.2.86 remains the dominant variant, accounting for 90.4% of detected cases. Also considering the BA.2.87.1 lineage, ECDC believes it is unlikely to have a significant impact in the near future.
Regarding avian influenza infections, the ECDC highlighted “sporadic cases” of human influenza A (H9N2), mainly among minors and young adults.
The European center also provides information on cholera, highlighting that 39,346 cases have been reported globally, with 698 deaths. Mainly found in West and East Africa. On this issue, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control assures that although sporadic cases have been recorded, the risk of infection for travelers to countries in these geographical areas remains low.