C.D.C. (Europe)

Updated technical guidelines by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will help prevent the transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) through substances of human origin, including donated blood, stem cells, reproductive cells, and tissue, and establish a single, EU-wide standard for patient safety during medical procedures.

A conference on mosquito-borne diseases hosted by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Ministry of Health of Cyprus with support from ECDC focused on the growing public health impact of such diseases in Europe and and discussed challenges in mosquito control.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published new operational guidance with clear steps for European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) member states to take in the unlikely event of an imported case of Ebola disease.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is expanding its presence on the ground to support areas affected by the current Ebola outbreak, sending additional experts this week to increase assistance and risk assessment activities as the disease continues to impact lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

ECDC has published its annual activity report for 2025, bringing scientific expertise and risk management together with strengthened cooperation and outreach.

ECDC and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have today published updated their maps displaying current new knowledge on the spatial distribution of mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies and biting midges across Europe.

On 17 May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola virus disease outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

With so many public health events developing and emerging, it is increasingly important to strengthen public health intelligence to ensure timely detection, assessment and response to potential public health threats.

As the Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda develops rapidly, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is ratcheting up its support on the ground, while continuing to emphasise that the risk of infection to the general population in Europe remains very low.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) hosted the annual meeting of the European Respiratory Viruses Network (ERVI-Net) in Vienna, Austria, on 20–22 May 2026, which brought together nearly 80 representatives from EU/EEA and accession countries.

As rising global interconnection increases public health risks worldwide, ECDC, building on the success of its previous programme through European Health Task Force (EUHTF), will once again host the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) Outbreak Response Scenario Programme in Stockholm, Sweden, on 24-29 May.

The risk to the general population in Europe from the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and also Uganda remains very low, ECDC said in a new assessment today, while stressing that EU/EEA countries should strengthen their preparedness as the situation continues to develop.

On 15 May 2026, Africa CDC reported an outbreak of Ebola disease in Ituri Province, DRC. Laboratory analysis at Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale of DRC identified Bundibugyo virus (BDBV). BDBV disease is a rare disease but can cause outbreaks with high case fatality rates. Considering the available information, complicated context and the uncertainties on the epidemiological information WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 May 2026. Africa CDC declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security on 18 May 2026.

ECDC was notified on 2 May 2026 of a cluster of severe respiratory illness on MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship with passengers and crew from 23 countries, including nine EU/EEA countries. The virus has been identified as Andes hantavirus.

On 17 May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola virus disease outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

New data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show that sexually transmitted infections reached record levels across Europe in 2024, driven by sharp rises in gonorrhoea and syphilis, and widening gaps in testing and prevention. Targeted action is urgently needed to prevent further spread, including among women of reproductive age.

Since 2023, 14 countries have reported more than 2 300 infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) or extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri to ECDC. Seven genetically distinct MDR/XDR clusters, some with prolonged circulation and others more recent, have been reported.

ECDC is warning of the increasing spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella infections across Europe, particularly among men who have sex with men.

On 6 March 2026, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) launched a call for experts to join a new Scientific Expert Panel (SEP) to support the development of a technical guidance on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination to protect adults for the European Union and the European Economic Area (EU/EEA).

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is deploying experts to support the response to the ongoing Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).