Open AccessA/H5N1 in the European Union: current levels of risk to humans, and responding to human cases and outbreaks
Author(s) -
S De Martin,
A Nicoll,
D Coulombier
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
euro surveillance/eurosurveillance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.766
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1560-7917
pISSN - 1025-496X
DOI - 10.2807/esm.11.11.00656-en
Subject(s) - outbreak , influenza a virus subtype h5n1 , european union , geography , highly pathogenic , environmental health , virology , medicine , environmental protection , socioeconomics , virus , international trade , business , sociology
This issue of Eurosurveillance includes a report by Georgia Spala et al of the investigation of a suspected outbreak in Greece of avian influenza (A/H5N1 virus infection) in humans [1]. This took place in the early spring of 2006 when infected wild birds appeared in many European Union (EU) countries. There were confirmed infections in birds in Greece, but after careful investigation, no human infections were found. However, the massive investigation and control that had to take place around the infections and deaths in the outbreak in Turkey in December 2005 and January 2006 [2] is a reminder of what could have been in Greece or other EU countries.