ECDC: On Air

What happens when field epidemiology moves beyond the desk?

To mark World Field Epidemiology Day, Antonia Genath and Linda Adamíková share their experience of a seven-week deployment to South Sudan, where they supported Ebola preparedness and surveillance activities.

They discuss working in a fragile health system, strengthening surveillance, supporting contact-tracing preparedness and collaborating with local colleagues in Juba and Yambio, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

They also reflect on what the deployment taught them, both professionally and personally, and why getting outside the “European surveillance bubble” can change the way you think about epidemiology.

The deployment was organised and funded by the EU Health Task Force in collaboration with the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), and thanks to the financial support from Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) of the European Commission.

Linda and Antonia are fellows in the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) and the German Postgraduate Training for Applied Epidemiology (PAE). During their two-year fellowships, they are based at Germany’s national public health institute, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), where they contribute to projects and routine activities in infectious disease epidemiology.

Check the links below to learn more about:

🔗 ECDC Fellowship Programme (EPIET/EUPHEM)

🔗 Ebola disease page

🔗 Information on the current Ebola outbreak in DRC

🔗 More about the EU Health Task Force

Gonorrhoea has developed resistance to almost every antibiotic used against it. So what happens when the treatments we still rely on start to lose their effectiveness?

Cases of gonorrhoea resistant to ceftriaxone, currently the first-line treatment, are increasing in Europe. And while resistant infections were previously mainly linked to travel, there is now growing evidence that transmission is also happening locally.

In this episode of ECDC: On Air – Risk Wire, Otilia Mårdh, ECDC expert on sexually transmitted infections, explains what is behind the rise of drug-resistant gonorrhoea, why Neisseria gonorrhoeae is so good at developing resistance and what multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant gonorrhoea actually mean.

Could gonorrhoea eventually become untreatable? We look at how close we are to losing some of the treatments available today, what new antibiotics could offer, and how surveillance, prevention, testing and appropriate treatment can help keep gonorrhoea treatable.

Learn more:

ECDC risk assessment on ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea

ECDC information on gonorrhoea

On World Mosquito Day, we’re taking a closer look at Europe’s changing mosquito landscape and what it means for public health.

Mosquitoes capable of transmitting diseases such as dengue and chikungunya are now established in more parts of Europe, while West Nile virus is already circulating across the continent. As mosquito distributions and environmental conditions change, more areas may become suitable for transmission.

In this episode of ECDC: On Air, Céline Gossner, Deputy Head of Unit One Health related Diseases / Head of Section Food, Water, Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases at ECDC, explains what we need to know about dengue, chikungunya and West Nile virus in Europe.

How can an infection acquired while travelling lead to local transmission back home? Which mosquitoes transmit which diseases? Who is more at risk of severe illness, and what can we do to protect ourselves and the people around us?

We also look at how mosquito breeding can be reduced around our homes and communities, how climate and environmental conditions influence transmission, and why surveillance, early detection and preparedness are becoming increasingly important.

The message is not one of alarm, but of preparedness. Understanding the risks and acting early can help reduce the impact of mosquito-borne diseases in Europe.

Learn more:

🦟 Mosquito-borne diseases at ECDC
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/mosquito-borne-diseases

🗺️ Where are different mosquito species found in Europe?
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/disease-vectors/surveillance-and-disease-data/mosquito-maps

✈️ Mosquito-borne diseases: what you need to know before, during and after travelling
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/mosquito-borne-diseases-what-you-need-know-during-and-after-travelling

Climate change is already affecting our health, often in ways we don't realise. Beyond hotter summers and more frequent heatwaves, it is creating conditions that allow some infectious diseases to spread, extending allergy seasons and increasing health risks linked to extreme weather.In this episode of ECDC: On Air, Dr Celine Gossner, Deputy Head of Unit for One Health-related Diseases at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), expert in food, water, vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, and Aleksandra Kaźmierczak - Expert in Climate Change and Human Health at the European Environment Agency (EEA), discuss how a changing climate is reshaping health across Europe.From the spread of mosquitoes and ticks into new regions to the growing risks of food- and water-borne diseases, they explain how climate change is affecting infectious disease risks. They also explore the wider health impacts of rising temperatures, floods, wildfires, air pollution and changing pollen seasons, and why these changes are already affecting communities today, not just future generations.The conversation also looks at how Europe is preparing for climate-sensitive health threats through climate adaptation, surveillance, early warning systems and cross-sector collaboration, while highlighting practical steps individuals can take to protect themselves.-----In this episode:- Why climate change is a public health issue- How climate change is affecting infectious disease risks- Mosquito-borne diseases, tick-borne diseases and Vibrio infections- Heatwaves, floods, wildfires and respiratory health- The European Climate and Health Observatory- How Europe is preparing for climate-sensitive health threats- What individuals can do to reduce health risks-----Links:Latest ECDC news on heatwaves and healthECDC's guide to a safe summer-----Learn more:🏠 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)🏠 European Environment Agency (EEA)🏠 European Climate and Health Observatory-----#ClimateChange #ClimateAndHealth #PublicHealth #ECDC #Heatwaves

Public health podcast | Avian influenza | H5N1 | Pandemic preparedness---Avian influenza continues to pose a challenge for animal and public health. While the current risk to the general public in Europe remains low, the widespread circulation of H5N1 viruses in birds and other animals highlights the importance of preparedness.In this episode of ECDC: On Air, we are joined by ECDC experts - Angeliki Melidou and Katriina Willgert, who give us a lowdown on the current avian influenza situation in Europe, the factors that could change the risk to humans, and how countries are preparing for potential human cases.The discussion explores why avian influenza viruses are monitored so closely, what scientists look for when assessing pandemic potential, and why surveillance, early detection and the One Health approach are essential for reducing the risk of wider spread.The episode also looks at ECDC's preparedness framework for avian influenza, which supports European countries in assessing different scenarios and planning proportionate public health measures before sustained human-to-human transmission occurs.---In this episode: avian influenza, H5N1, pandemic preparedness, One Health, influenza surveillance, zoonotic influenza, risk assessment, early detection, public health preparedness, vaccines, antivirals and ECDC's preparedness framework.---➡ Learn more about avian influenza on ECDC pages here: https://bit.ly/4onkYbL➡ ECDC preparedness framework for avian influenza: https://bit.ly/43pCFhv---#AvianInfluenza #H5N1 #PublicHealth #OneHealth #PandemicPreparedness

Public health podcast | Tick-borne diseases | Lyme disease | Tick-borne encephalitis

Tick-borne diseases affect thousands of people in Europe every year, and changes in the environment are influencing where ticks can be found and how long they remain active.

In this episode of ECDC: On Air, we talk with ECDC expert Esther Kukielka-Zunzunegui about the growing public health importance of tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).

The discussion explores how ticks transmit infections, where the risks are changing across Europe, and why awareness and prevention are essential for reducing the impact of these diseases.

The episode also looks at practical steps people can take to protect themselves from tick bites and explains why surveillance and preparedness remain important as tick-borne diseases continue to evolve in Europe.

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➡ Learn more about tick-borne diseases on ECDC pages here: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/tick-borne-diseases

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In this episode: tick-borne diseases, Lyme disease, Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), tick bite prevention, vector-borne diseases, disease surveillance, climate and health, and infectious diseases in Europe.

#TickBorneDiseases #LymeDisease #TickBorneEncephalitis #PublicHealth #VectorBorneDiseases

What can wastewater reveal about the spread of infectious diseases?

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In this episode of ECDC: On Air, microbiologists Theresa Enkirch and Maximilian Riess explain how analysing wastewater can help scientists detect pathogens shed by populations and monitor trends in infections across communities.

The discussion explores how wastewater surveillance complements traditional disease monitoring, how it is being implemented across Europe, and how new technologies may expand its role in detecting future health threats.

➡ Learn more about wastewater surveillance here.

➡ ECDC Framework on wastewater-based surveillance.

Interested in ECDC in general? Visit our portal ⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠ or follow us on ⁠social media⁠ for the latest news!

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Topics: wastewater surveillance, infectious disease monitoring, environmental surveillance, epidemiology, public health.

Tuberculosis remains a significant public health challenge in Europe, despite often being considered a disease of the past.

In this episode of ECDC: On Air, tuberculosis expert Senia Rosales-Klintz explains the current reality of TB, how the bacteria can remain dormant for years, and how it primarily affects vulnerable populations.

The episode also explores social stigma, challenges in accessing newer treatments, and the critical role of tracking patient outcomes in eliminating the disease.

Click here for more information on World Tuberculosis Day, and here for more information in general about ECDC.

Check our social media to keep up to date with ECDC news.

In this episode of ECDC On Air, we speak with ECDC's Helena de Carvalho Gomes - Deputy Head of Unit for Scientific Evidence and Communication, and former clinician in obstetrics and gynaecology, about the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervical cancer and how vaccination and screening can prevent the disease.

Drawing on her clinical experience, she reflects on changes in cervical cancer prevention over the past 25 years and on the impact of HPV vaccination and screening in reducing pre-cancerous lesions and cancer risk among women.We also discuss why sustained vaccination programmes and regular cervical screening (Pap smear or Papanicolaou test) remain essential for reducing cervical cancer across Europe and moving towards its elimination.

Want to know more about HPV and its connection to cervical cancer?

Read more on the European Vaccination Information Portal in YOUR language here.

Find out more about HPV on the disease page on ECDC Portal.

More information on epidemiology in Europe in general can be found on our portal: https://⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠ and ⁠social media channels⁠.

Enjoy the episode!

This is a third episode of our ECDC: On Air podcast sub-series - the "Risk Wire" - focusing on Risk Assessments ECDC publishes.

This time we look into a prolonged multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Strathcona has affected 17 European countries and has been ongoing since 2023, with more than 400 confirmed cases reported so far. Investigations have identified small tomatoes as the most likely vehicle of infection, highlighting the complexity of foodborne outbreaks and the role of the environment in food contamination.

In this episode, we talk to Dr Taina Niskanen, Expert in Food-, Waterborne and Zoonotic Diseases at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and Dr Eleonora Sarno, scientific officer at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Together, they explain what Salmonella is, how it spreads, and the symptoms it can cause. They walk listeners through how the outbreak was detected and investigated across countries, how whole genome sequencing helps link human, food and environmental samples, and why collaboration between public health, food safety and environmental sectors is essential.

The episode also explores how ECDC and EFSA work with national authorities to track cases, trace food sources, and support control measures using a One Health approach.

Finally, the experts share practical food hygiene advice and explain what people can do at home to reduce the risk of infection.

Want to know more about the outbreak?
Read our press release here: bit.ly/3KNFGCx

Find out more about Salmonella on the disease pages on ECDC Portal here: www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/salmonellosis

More information on epidemiology in Europe in general can be found on our portal: ⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠ and ⁠social media channels⁠: bit.ly/ECDCSocialMedia

Happy listening!