New guidance launched to help Europe detect respiratory virus threats earlier

Today the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published new guidance on respiratory virus surveillance for the EU/EEA, helping countries across Europe detect changes in virus circulation earlier and build a clearer picture of respiratory disease trends to increase timely and effective action to protect public health.

The guidance sets out practical surveillance objectives, outlines the epidemiological and virological systems needed to meet them, and explains how comparable surveillance data can support national and EU-level prevention and control measures for acute respiratory illness including influenza and COVID-19.  

Designed as a modular tool that will continue to develop, this guidance has been developed to enable faster publication, easier updates and greater flexibility as surveillance needs evolve in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA). Additional modules will be added as they are finalised over the next year. Future editions may also address emerging areas such as finding the viruses in wastewater- and using electronic health records. 

By providing a common framework while allowing countries to adapt surveillance systems to their national context, ECDC’s guidance aims to strengthen preparedness, situational awareness and public health decision-making across Europe.