ECDC Insight Is a Newsletter Published by the European Cen- Tre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm

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Minister Ulla Schmidt & Director Zsuzsanna Jakab In this issue: present ECDC’s first report on communicable disease 1. Minister Ulla Schmidt epidemiology in the EU & Director Zsuzsanna Jakab present On 7 June 2007 Minister Ulla Schmidt, ropean data sets in order to maximise ECDC’s first report Germany’s Federal Minister for Health, the return on investment made by the on communicable and ECDC’s Director Zsuzsanna Jakab Member States and EU institutions. The disease epidemiology presented the first ever comprehensive report notes that important challenges in the EU report on the multiple threats posed by remain relating to disease surveillance. communicable diseases in the EU. The 2. Editorial by Director event took place at the European Cen- Zsuzsanna Jakab tre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm and was organised Chikungunya fever: in partnership with the European Com- ECDC-led team visits mission and the German Presidency Italy of the EU. The report contains a large volume of epidemiological data on 49 ECDC external communicable diseases (together with evaluation launched healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance) collected from 3. Four European 25 Member States, Norway and Iceland networks’ for 2005. coordination activities to be The incidence of most of the diseases managed at ECDC looked at in the report has either fallen From right to left: German’s Health Minister Ulla Schmidt, or remained stable over the past decade. ECDC Director Zsuzsanna Jakab, Head of Health Threat Unit Evaluation and Not all the trends are positive though. John F. Ryan (EC, DG Sanco) and Ben Duncan (ECDC) assessment of EU- For example, incidence of campylobacter wide surveillance has risen in recent years. The key areas networks of concern highlighted in ECDC’s report Data on communicable diseases are are: 1) Rising rates of healthcare-asso- not always collected using consistent 4. A new Unit at ciated infections, especially those due methodology across all Member States, ECDC: Health to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, 2) the making it difficult to draw comparisons Communication Unit continued threat from tuberculosis in between countries. To show the vari- Europe, 3) the threat posed by influenza ance in surveillance systems, the report Eurosurveillance has and pneumococcal infections and provides the results of a survey on the joined ECDC: the first 4) rising rates of HIV infection. characteristics of surveillance systems six months conducted in each country for each dis- A summary of the report has been disease. In response to the findings of the 5. Missions & Meetings tributed to policy makers, scientists and report, ECDC will work with the Member other interested parties. The full report States and the European Commission to 6. In the loop: ECDC’s is available on ECDC’s website and print streamline and improve the generation disease projects copies can be ordered from ECDC. ECDC of national disease surveillance data. acknowledges and appreciates input 7. Getting ready: the received from the Member States’ sur- For more information: training programme veillance staff and the Dedicated Sur- http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ page veillance Networks. ECDC’s analysis is ew/2007/070607.asp#2 largely built on the existing EU and Eu- http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/pdf/Epi_ 8. Upcoming events Please contact our publications team: report_2007.pdf [email protected] Publications

September 2007 1/8

Insight

ECDC Insight is a newsletter published by the European Cen- tre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm. Any Editorial by Item may be reproduced for personal use or non-commercial purposes provided the source is aknowledged. Director Zsuzsanna Jakab For free subscriptions, please specify your requirements via e- mail: [email protected] Welcome to the first edition of European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ECDC Insight! Our aim with this Tomtebodavägen 11 A, SE-17183 Stockholm - Sweden newsletter is to keep our stake- Tel. +46 8 58 0000, [email protected] holders briefed about ECDC’s ac- Official publisher : ECDC • Director: Ms Z. Jakab • Editor: Ms I. tivities and letting you know what Hubert • Photo credits: ECDC pp. 1, 2, 3; Dr D. Coulombier: p. 2, we are doing. I thought it would Dr P. Kreidl and Dr C. Varela: p. 5, Dr A. Bosman: p. 5-6. Printed also be interesting to say a bit in Sweden • ISSN: 1830-7965 • CATALOGUE NUMBER: TQ-AF- about who we are. 07-001-EN-C • Printed on chlorine-free paper • © European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ECDC’s mandate is clearly spelled out in our founding regulation ECDC external evaluation (851/2004). The main objective of launched the Centre is to strengthen the de- Considering these numbers, I fences of the EU against commu- would say that the growth has ECDC will have its first external nicable diseases. We are an EU been remarkably smooth thanks evaluation according to article agency operating in close partner- to the flexibility and good work of 31 of the founding regulation ship with the EU institutions and the administration and the four (851/2004). Following an open call other public health institutions technical units: the Scientific Ad- for tender, Ecorys was selected like WHO. vice Unit (SAU), the Surveillance to undertake this task. The main Unit (SUN), the Preparedness and objectives are to assess ECDC’s While ECDC has still not reached Response Unit (PRU) and finally past achievements; to explore adulthood, it is becoming a strong the new Health Communication the possibility of extending the European teenager! I can very well Unit (HCU – see page 4). scope of the Centre’s mission be- remember the time when we start- yond infectious diseases to other ed in May 2005 with a handful of Apart from the growth in num- EU public health activities; and colleagues. The key challenge was bers, I am glad to see our Agency to set the timing for further such to kick off the recruitment process truly becoming European. Today reviews. The external evaluation so that we could build up a critical 20 nationalities work together in will be carried out over a period mass of staff in order to quickly ECDC. Gender equity is a key chal- of around 12 months involving all move on our overall programmes. lenge, with the balance currently ECDC stakeholders. The final re- in favour of women! port from the external evaluator As of September 2007, ECDC has to the ECDC Management Board well over one hundred staff mem- Therefore, I shall confess that I is expected in summer 2008 and bers. In 2006 we welcomed around am proud to see the beautiful Eu- conclusions and recommenda- 70 new colleagues, a figure that ropean and human equilibrium tions from the Board to the Com- will be exceeded in 2007. ECDC is becoming. mission by end of 2008.

Chikungunya fever: ECDC-led team visits Italy

At the invitation of Italy, a joint for the Ravenna outbreak – is mission, led by ECDC and includ- present in some southern Euro- ing experts from WHO and France, pean countries. Therefore, the was sent to Ravenna in mid-Sep- ECDC team went to Ravenna to tember to examine the implica- get a better understanding of the tions of the chikungunya outbreak risk facing other EU countries. The for other EU countries. ECDC team also offered expertise from other EU countries to the Ital- This mission to Ravenna con- ian authorities, such as insights firmed ECDC’s assessment per- gained by the French authorities formed in March 2006. It stressed in tackling the chikungunya out- the risk that mosquito-borne break in Réunion in 2005 –2006. outbreaks of chikungunya can Charles Jeannin and Jean-Claude Desenc- happen in Europe. The Aedes al- los looking at a mosquito egg trap in the For more information: bopictus mosquito – the vector village of the original case of Chikungunya www.ecdc.europa.eu fever

September 2007 2/8

Insight Four European networks’ coordination activities to be managed at ECDC

Enter-NET: from 1 October nual workshop held in Rome on 2007 30–31 May 2007 was the occa- Hub visits performed by August 2007 sion to inform gatekeepers about Enter-net is the international ECDC’s planned approach for the 3–5 October 2006 BSN surveillance network for Campy- transition period. 9–10 October 2006 ESAC lobacter, Salmonella and Vero- 6 November 2006 EUCAST toxigenic Eschericia coli (VTEC) Countries covered by the Neis- 19–20 December 2006 DIVINE infections. seria meningitidis sub-network 28–30 March 2007 EuroCJD are 25 Member States (Romania 3–5 April 2007 EWGLINET While the transition has been dis- and Bulgaria not yet covered) 5–6 April 2007 EARSS cussed during the network’s an- plus Switzerland and Iceland. The 11–13 April 2007 EU-IBIS nual meeting held in Vienna in same 27 countries as well as Is- 17–19 April 2007 ENIVD July 2007, an upcoming workshop rael belong to the Haemophilus 23–26 April 2007 EISS will be scheduled at ECDC in early influenzae sub-network. 28–30 May 2007 IPSE winter to offer an opportunity for 30 May–1 June 2007 EuroTB network members to provide in- For more information: 12–13 July 2007 Enter-net put and recommendations for fu- http://www.euibis.org/index.htm 23–26 July 2007 EuroHIV ture ECDC-directed activities. EuroHIV: from 1 January 2008 Steering group meetings Enter-net, a continuation of the Salm-Net surveillance network Since February 2007 ECDC has 29 November 2006 in ECDC (1994–97), was hosted by the been working with the French In- 10 January 2007 Teleconference Health Protection Agency of Eng- stitut de Veille Sanitaire (InVS) to 28 May 2007 in ECDC land and Wales. The 27 Member prepare the transfer of network ac- 30 November 2007 in ECDC States of the European Union tivities which had been success- as well as a number of countries fully hosted by InVS since 1984. outside the EU are involved in the network. ECDC experts met twice with their EuroTB: from 1 January 2008 counterparts in France and a ma- For more information: jor ECDC / WHO-EURO joint event EuroTB’s mission is ‘to improve http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/in- was held in Stockholm on 6–7 the contribution of surveillance to ter/enter-net_menu.htm September 2007 to prepare for TB control in Europe’. The network the transition of HIV and AIDS sur- has been hosted by InVS since EU IBIS: from 3 October 2007 veillance in Europe. The mission 1996. Like EuroHIV, EuroTB covers of EuroHIV so far is to understand, the 53 countries of the WHO Euro- The European Union’s Invasive improve and share European HIV/ pean Region and ECDC is collabo- Bacterial Infections Surveillance AIDS surveillance data in order to rating with WHO-EURO to ensure Network (EU-IBIS) is the European better inform disease prevention, the continuation of the future sur- network for the surveillance of in- control and care. veillance of TB in Europe. vasive diseases caused by Neisse- ria meningitidis and Haemophilus To cover the 53 countries of the The annual meeting of EuroTB na- influenzae. WHO European Region – a broad- tional correspondents, held on er area than the ECDC mandate 19–20 September, was an occa- The coordination of the network, – ECDC will work in close coopera- sion for the participating labora- which has been hosted by the tion on HIV/AIDS surveillance with tory experts and epidemiologists Health Protection Agency since WHO-EURO. to discuss a new surveillance or- September 1999, will be based ganisation scheme. in the Surveillance Unit of ECDC For more information: from October this year. The an- http://www.eurohiv.org/ ECDC thanks InVS for its friendly cooperation and acknowledges Evaluation and assessment of EU-wide surveillance network the excellent management of Eu- roHIV and EuroTB. Evaluations and assessments have are available for BSN and ESAC eval- been completed for 11 networks: uations. Three networks (EUVAC- For more information: BSN, ESAC, EUCAST, DIVINE, Eu- NET, ESSTI and DIPNET) remain to http://www.eurotb.org/ roCJD, EWGLINET, EuroHIV, EuroTB, be evaluated and will be assessed EARSS, EISS, and Enter-net. Reports in 2008. for three networks (EU-IBIS, ENIVD, and IPSE) are awaited. Short sum- For more information: maries of the evaluations by net- http://ecdc.europa.eu/Activi- works will be provided on the ECDC ties/surveillance/EU_evalua- website. At present, the summaries tion.html September 2007 3/8

Insight Article 15 of Regulation (EC) no 851/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004

‘The independence of the Centre and its role in informing the public mean A new Unit at ECDC: Health Communication that it should be able to communicate on its own initiative in the fields within Unit (HCU) its mission, its purpose being to provide objective, reliable and easily un- On 1 May 2007, the Health Com- Its internal organisation is being derstandable information to improve munication Unit (HCU) was es- formalised around three sections: citizens’ confidence.’ tablished under the leadership of (i) the Scientific Communication Prof Karl Ekdahl. It became ECDC’s section (under Dr Ines Steffens), fourth technical unit. also Managing Editor of Euro- surveillance (see below); (ii) the Two main challenges await the The creation of this new unit ful- Public and Media Communication new unit in 2008: to further de- fils ECDC’s mandate on commu- section (under Mr Ben Duncan), velop the services/products (pub- nication. Currently with some 16 focusing on media activities, risk lications, website, press reports staff, the unit is responsible for communication, visits, informa- and information services); and to communicating the scientific and tion stands and information to the extend country support services technical outputs of the Centre public; and (iii) the Web Develop- on health communication. to European health professionals ment section (under the Head of and the general European public, unit), developing the next genera- For more information: as well as supporting the Member tion of ECDC’s website, due to be http://ecdc.europa.eu/About_us/ States’ communication activities. operational by 2009. Health_Comm.html

Eurosurveillance has joined ECDC: the first six months

On 1 March 2007, Eurosurveil- lance, the independent scientific journal on communicable disease prevention and control, was fully integrated into ECDC. Six months later, the editorial team can look back to assess what has been achieved so far.

After a smooth transfer with no interruption in publication, the The Eurosurveillance team: Jeremy Duns, Kathrin Hagmaier, Renata Mikolajczyk, Daniel strengths of the journal have Ahlgren, Ines Steffens and Karl Ekdahl been maintained and further developed. In its weekly edition, the journal continues to provide authoritative information on out- and monthly editions. The number and tables. The lay-out of the breaks relevant to its European of Associate Editors has also been print version was also refreshed. readership in a timely manner. increased: 15 experts were select- The launch of a new website is In urgent cases, the team is able ed for their personal merits and planned for the beginning of to publish peer-reviewed articles expertise in the field of communi- 2008. within 24 hours of submission. cable diseases and public health, further supporting the editorial The good collaboration estab- In the past six months, Eurosur- team and strengthening the sci- lished with Member States’ repre- veillance has established close entific credibility of the journal. sentatives in the Editorial Board is links with collaborators, experts of primary importance to the jour- and scientists within the EU Mem- A first step toward merging the nal and will be strengthened at a ber States and ECDC. These links electronic editions of the journal meeting scheduled in Stockholm have helped to ensure the qual- more visibly has been taken by on 16–17 October 2007. ity of articles for both the weekly adapting the lay-out of graphs

September 2007 4/8

Insight

Expert mission to Latvia: strengthening ties and training support

From 28 to 30 August 2007, three of our colleagues, Mr Alain Lefeb- vre, Dr Carmen Varela Santos and Mr John O’Toole and Norwegian State Epidemiologist Dr Preben Aavitsland visited Latvia.

In particular, they met with of- ficials from the Latvian Public Health Agency, the Infectiology Center, the State Sanitary Inspec- torate, the State Agency for Tu- berculosis and Lung Disease, the Alain Lefebvre (ECDC), Preben Aavitsland (Norway), Jurijs Perevoscikovs (Latvia) Paul Stradins Clinical University Hospital and the Centre of Emer- presented to their hosts ECDC ac- IVth Joint EC/ECDC/WHO Work- gency and Disaster Medicine. tions to meet their needs. Addi- shop on Pandemic Influenza tional areas of collaboration were Preparedness, Luxembourg, The overall objective of the mis- identified in the fight against an- 25–27 September 2007 sion was to strengthen ties and tibiotic resistance and the imple- build mutual understanding on mentation of minimum standards The overall objectives of the how to collaborate in the future. to link to the ECDC operational fourth joint workshop on Pan- More concretely, the delegation emergency room. demic Influenza Preparedness are to update participants on the cur- Joint EC / WHO-EURO / ECDC assessment mission for influenza rent situation of human flu world- wide, to maintain the motivation By the end of October, visits will as well as the Health Protection to continue refining preparedness have been conducted in the 30 Inspectorate (and its laboratory), plans, to further understand the countries participating in ECDC the Veterinary and Food Board, concerns and possible solutions to help them assess prepared- Harju County and Tallin Infectious that could be developed at pan– ness against influenza pandemic. Disease Hospital. European level, to help countries The mission in Estonia took place to develop and share innovative from 27 to 31 August 2007. The team concluded its mission solutions that can be applied in with a presentation to the Minis- their national and regional plan- The joint mission team had the op- try of Social Affairs on preliminary ning and to be focused to reach portunity to share views with col- findings highlighting the strengths conclusions and operational rec- leagues from Estonian institutions of Estonia’s system and also areas ommendations. such as the Ministries of Social where further work is needed. Affairs, Interior and Agriculture This year, the meeting will focus in particular on the following more specific issues: update on science and research, the new surveillance plan, the next generation of indicators and public health measures.

The ECDC team at the meeting includes Director Zsuzsanna Ja- kab, Prof Angus Nicoll, Mr Howard Needham, Dr Karoline Fernandez de la Hoz, Dr Peter Kreidl, Ms An- drea Würz, Dr Paula Vasconcelos, Dr Carmen Varela and Dr Bruno Ciancio from the influenza project, as well as Prof Johan Giesecke, Dr Massimo Ciotti and Dr Todd Web- Olga Sadikova (Estonia), Olita Kravcenko (Latvia), Martin Kadai (Estonia), Beatrice Toussaint ber. (EC, DG SANCO), Peter Kreidl (ECDC), Davide Manissero (ECDC) and Ben Ducan (ECDC)

September 2007 5/8

In the loop: ECDC’s diseases projects Insight ECDC’s disease specific activities are organised within seven horizon- tal projects with team members from all technical units: influenza; tuberculosis; food and water-borne diseases; diseases of environmental and zoonotic origin; vaccine preventable diseases and invasive bacterial infections; HIV, STI and blood-borne viruses; antimicrobial resist- The ‘diseases of environmental ance and healthcare-associated infections. and zoonotic origin’ project fo- cuses on the group of diseases For more information: that pose a risk for human infec- http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/About_us/Disease_projects.html tions from reservoirs in the envi- ronment and animal populations. This group includes vector-borne ECDC’s Influenza Project: actively promoting diseases, diseases related to in- tentional release agents, or other prevention and control of influenza (re-)emerging diseases. Changes in the global climate and the oc- ECDC’s Influenza Project repre- The updated report will draw on currence of newly emerging dis- sents the sum of efforts from all the results of the self-assess- eases such as SARS provide the parts of the Centre on influenza. ments of preparedness under- challenge to be prepared on the As such it includes a wide range taken since the summer of 2005 level of surveillance, prepared- of activities to improve the pre- by EU and EEA countries, as well ness, response and scientific vention and control of seasonal as the results from a survey con- knowledge as a basis for an ade- influenza in Europe and to sup- ducted in August 2007 which in- quate control strategy for Europe. port preparations for a possible vestigated the current status of Under the coordination of Dr Eve- influenza pandemic in the EU and progress since the 2006 report. lyn Depoortere, the project team EEA Member States. Its activi- comprises seven staff members. ties are performed in collabora- In the area of communications, tion with Member States, the EC, the Influenza Project developed Vector-borne diseases: WHO, other relevant international together with an external consul- assessment of the importance bodies and European networks, tancy (Burson-Marsteller) the ‘In- in Europe notably the European Influenza fluenza Communication Toolkit’. Surveillance Scheme (EISS). It aims at assisting health com- ECDC’s mandate is to strengthen municators in the Member States the capacity of the EU for the pre- During 2007 the Influenza Project, in devising communication cam- vention and control of infectious coordinated by Prof Angus Nicoll, paigns to help tackle seasonal diseases. Vector-borne diseases has continued to build on the influenza. It is not intended to are a specific group of infections portfolio of advice in areas such replace what countries have al- that represent an emerging (or as: H5N1 vaccines and childhood ready done but rather offers in- re-emerging) threat to Europe immunisation, menu of public spiration on how to develop cam- and therefore require special at- health measures to reduce the paigns and includes prototype tention. For this reason ECDC impact of an influenza pandemic, materials. launched a tender aimed at as- antiviral use against seasonal sessing the current magnitude and pandemic influenza and the The Influenza Project also pro- and importance of vector-borne project of surveillance in a pan- duces a weekly influenza update diseases in Europe and develop- demic. Additionally, it is complet- with a ‘science watch’ function, ing a plan of action for the coming ing the series of EU Pandemic Pre- to disseminate information and years. paredness Self-Assessment visits commentaries on public health to all Member States. related influenza research. It is A selected group of experts will, also a regular contributor to Euro- in close co-operation with ECDC Work is underway in the prepara- surveillance and other EU public staff, identify hazardous vector- tion of the updated EU/EEA Pan- health journals. borne diseases and conduct a demic Preparedness Status Re- multi-disciplinary risk assess- port, to document the progress For more information: ment in order to identify priorities since the bench-mark survey and [email protected] for action. The first phase of the report of autumn 2006 and iden- http://www.eiss.org/index.cgi assessment is starting in Septem- tify key areas where work should http://ecdc.europa.eu/Health_ ber. focus in the period 2008–2010. topics/influenza/news.html

September 2007 6/8 EPIET introduction course, 2005 Insight

17 fellows to receive their EPIET diplomas on 19 October 2007

The European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Cohort 11 is soon to receive Training (EPIET) is aimed at EU medical practitioners, public-health their diplomas. The ceremony is nurses, microbiologists, veterinarians and other health professionals scheduled during the European with previous experience in Public Health and a keen interest in Scientific Conference on Applied epidemiology. Infectious Disease Epidemiology (ESCAIDE) in Stockholm. For more information on the EPIET programme: http://www.epiet.org/index.html The fellows, who belong to ten different EU Member States, have been hosted for two years at 14 different training sites, including national centres for surveillance EPIET’s introduction course to run from 23 and control of communicable diseases in the EU. September to 10 October 2007 All those who started in October The number of fellows from East- attend the introduction course 2005 have successfully gone ern European Countries continues held in Mahòn, Menorca, Spain. through the training programme. to grow, with Czech, Estonian and One fellow in cohort 11 started Romanian fellows participating for Among the trainers, senior epide- later and is planned to finish the first time this year. The course miologists from national and in- in March 2008. When cohort 11 will be hosted by Spain for the 4th ternational institutes will be par- has completed the training, a year. ticipating. total of 130 graduates will have been trained under the EPIET pro- A total of 15 fellows were selected The course objectives are to teach gramme in the past 12 years. in May 2007 and will constitute skills in: (i) outbreak investigation ‘cohort 13’ together with seven fel- methods, (ii) epidemiological sur- Experience shows us that more lows from National Field Epidemi- veillance planning, establishment than 75% of the graduates go ology Training Programmes from and evaluation of surveillance on to work as epidemiologists at Germany, Norway and Austria. In systems and (iii) descriptive and the national level in the EU and addition, 14 participants from EU analytical epidemiology. in Norway and about 15% at the Member States and Vietnam will international level, such as WHO, ECDC, NGOs, UNHCR, Unicef.

ECDC second consultation with the Member States on training, 11–12 September 2007

The main goal of ECDC training ing strategy in intervention epide- intervention epidemiology in the activities is to develop human re- miology in the EU. EU and to determine priorities in sources in the field of intervention training activities. epidemiology. The purpose is to strengthen the capacity of response to epidem- The document was presented to Following ECDC’s first consulta- ics in the EU as well as reinforcing the Advisory Forum of ECDC in tion with the Member States in collaboration with international September 2007 for consultation December 2005, the main objec- counterparts. The consultation and guidance. tive was to review and update the focused in particular on agreeing implementation of the ECDC train- on a list of core competencies in

September 2007 7/8

For more information on our upcoming publications: Insight [email protected]

Expert Advisory Groups on Human H5N1 Vaccines:

1. Scientific Questions, Technical Report, August Upcoming events... 2007

2. Technical Public Health And Operational 27–28.09.2007 Conference on Health and Migra- Questions, Report, August 2007 tion in the EU, Lisbon

At a meeting of the ECDC’s Advisory Forum in Septem- 30.09–03.10. 4th Congress of European Society ber 2006, Dr Terhi Kilpi (Finland) presented the scien- 2007 for Emerging Infections, Lisbon tific and public health thinking behind that country’s decision to invest in enough human H5N1 vaccine to of- 04.10.2007 Competent bodies first meeting - fer a single dose to all its population in the event of an Nordic baltic countries H5N1 pandemic. On the latter’s advice, ECDC convened two Expert Advisory Groups (EAG 1 and EAG 2). EAG 1 8–9.10.2007 ECDC Director’s presentation to focused on highly technical scientific questions over the European Parliament Environ- whether and how well and safely a vaccine prepared mental Committee against the current H5N1 antigens would work against an H5–based pandemic. EAG 2 dealt with public health 10–11.10.2007 International Conference on Risk and operational questions concerning when such vac- Management in Production Activi- cines might be used, including the specific triggers and ties, Porto for which groups in the population. As a result, two separate reports have been produced. 16–17.10.2007 Eurosurveillance annual meeting, Stockholm Outbreak Assistance Laboratories (OALs) meeting report 16.10.2007 Raising the public awareness of antimicrobial resistance lunch de- ECDC called a consultation of experts involved in out- bate, European Parliament, Brus- break investigations, diagnosis of imported, rare and sels, co-hosted by John Bowis, unknown diseases, members of European laboratory MEP, and ECDC networks, the European Biodefence Laboratory Net- work, the European Commission and WHO as a first 18–20.10.2007 European Scientific Conference on step to establish a collaboration with identified labo- Applied Infectious Disease Epide- ratories – called Outbreak Assistance Laboratories miology (ESCAIDE), Stockholm, (OALs). The objectives of the meeting were to discuss organised by ECDC, EPIET, EPIET the modes for collaboration, to review draft terms of Alumni Network reference and to develop shared operating procedures for OALs. As a result, the needs for European laboratory 22.10.2007 Ministerial Conference on Tuber- expertise within various outbreak settings were high- culosis in Europe, Berlin lighted and the modes for collaboration with ECDC on how to best build and maintain collaboration with OALs 26.10.2007 Legionella expert meeting, Stock- were explored. The publication of the meeting report is holm, ECDC expected this autumn. 29.10.2007 WHO-EURO / ECDC Liaison Meeting Networking for public health: ECDC European on Influenza, Stockholm, ECDC Scientific Consultation Group Workshop, 27–28 February 2007, Stockholm 13–14.11.2007 Advisory Forum meeting, Stock- holm, ECDC On 26–27 February 2007, ECDC organised an exchange of views with European scientific societies with a view 15.11.2007 2nd Consultation on Outbreak In- to establishing a scientific consultation group. This vestigation and Response, Stock- unique event was designed to introduce ECDC to the holm, ECDC scientific societies and to facilitate networking between the participating organisations. This first meet- 5–6.12.2007 3rd Meeting of Epidemic Intelli- ing brought together 21 associations and scientific gence in the EU societies representing a wide range of specialisations. ECDC expressed its commitment to developing the 13–14.12.2007 Management Board meeting, network further and to identifying ways to address the Stockholm, ECDC many proposed cooperative action areas. The publication of the meeting report is expected this autumn.

September 2007 8/8