TY - JOUR
T1 - Current practices for respiratory syncytial virus surveillance across the EU/EEA Member States, 2017
AU - Mollers, Madelief
AU - Barnadas, Celine
AU - Broberg, Eeva K.
AU - Penttinen, Pasi
AU - Teirlinck, Anne C.
AU - Fischer, Thea K.
AU - European Influenza Surveillance Network
A2 - Popow-Kraupp, Theresia
A2 - Bossuyt, Nathalie
A2 - Thomas, Isabelle
A2 - Barbezange, Cyril
A2 - Korsun, Neli
A2 - Drazenovic, Vladimir
A2 - Koliou, Maria
A2 - Pieridou, Despo
A2 - Kyncl, Jan
A2 - Havlickova, Martina
A2 - Novakova, Ludmila
A2 - Trebbien, Ramona
A2 - Sadikova, Olga
A2 - Simonlatser, Grethel
A2 - Lyytikainen, Outi
A2 - Ikonen, Niina
A2 - Nohynek, Hanna
A2 - Belchior, Emmanuel
A2 - Buda, Silke
A2 - Schweiger, Brunhilde
A2 - Reiche, Janine
A2 - Papa, Anna
A2 - Molnar, Zsuzsanna
A2 - Rozsa, Monika
A2 - Sigmundsdottir, Gudrun
A2 - Domegan, Lisa
A2 - O'Donnell, Joan
A2 - Rizzo, Caterina
A2 - Nikiforova, Raina
A2 - Storozenko, Jelena
A2 - Skrickiene, Asta
A2 - Mossong, Joel
A2 - Fournier, Guillaume
A2 - Nguyen, Trung
A2 - Melillo, Tanya
A2 - Meijer, Adam
A2 - Hauge, Siri Helene
A2 - Dudman, Susanne G.
A2 - Paradowska-Stankiewicz, Iwona
A2 - Łuniewska, Katarzyna
A2 - Brydak, Lidia B.
A2 - Rodrigues, Ana Paula
A2 - Guiomar, Raquel
A2 - Popovici, Odette
A2 - Mecochova, Adriana
N1 - Members of the European Influenza Surveillance network (EISN) are listed at the end of the article.
Funding Information:
The institutions of the following co-authors are partners in the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Consortium in Europe (RESCEU). Madelief Mollers, Anne Teirlinck, Adam Meijer (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, RIVM), Céline Barnadas, Thea Kølsen Fischer, Ramona Trebbien (Statens Serum Institute, SSI). RESCEU has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement 116019. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/10/3
Y1 - 2019/10/3
N2 - Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major contributor to lower respiratory tract infections worldwide and several vaccine candidates are currently in development. Following vaccine introduction, reliable RSV surveillance should enable monitoring of vaccination impact. Data on the RSV disease burden in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) are sparse. Aim: The aim of this study was to gather knowledge on current practices of national RSV surveillance in the EU/EEA. Methods: National Coordinators and National Focal Points for Influenza (epidemiologists and virologists) from the EU/EEA countries (n = 31) were invited to participate in an online survey in August and September 2017. The questionnaire covered questions on epidemiological and laboratory aspects of RSV surveillance. Results: All EU/EEA countries except Liechtenstein replied to the survey. Eighteen countries reported to have a sentinel surveillance system, 26 countries a non-sentinel surveillance system and three countries to have neither. RSV data collection was mostly done within the context of influenza surveillance. A wide range of diagnostic and characterisation assays was used for the detection of RSV. Discussion: The majority of EU/ EEA countries have some surveillance for RSV in place. The prevailing integration of RSV surveillance into the existing influenza sentinel surveillance system may lead to under-reporting of RSV. The documented variations in existing RSV surveillance systems and their outputs indicate that there is scope for developing guidelines on establishing comparable methods and outcomes for RSV surveillance across the EU/EEA, to ensure the availability of a consistent evidence base for assessing future vaccination programmes.
AB - Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major contributor to lower respiratory tract infections worldwide and several vaccine candidates are currently in development. Following vaccine introduction, reliable RSV surveillance should enable monitoring of vaccination impact. Data on the RSV disease burden in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) are sparse. Aim: The aim of this study was to gather knowledge on current practices of national RSV surveillance in the EU/EEA. Methods: National Coordinators and National Focal Points for Influenza (epidemiologists and virologists) from the EU/EEA countries (n = 31) were invited to participate in an online survey in August and September 2017. The questionnaire covered questions on epidemiological and laboratory aspects of RSV surveillance. Results: All EU/EEA countries except Liechtenstein replied to the survey. Eighteen countries reported to have a sentinel surveillance system, 26 countries a non-sentinel surveillance system and three countries to have neither. RSV data collection was mostly done within the context of influenza surveillance. A wide range of diagnostic and characterisation assays was used for the detection of RSV. Discussion: The majority of EU/ EEA countries have some surveillance for RSV in place. The prevailing integration of RSV surveillance into the existing influenza sentinel surveillance system may lead to under-reporting of RSV. The documented variations in existing RSV surveillance systems and their outputs indicate that there is scope for developing guidelines on establishing comparable methods and outcomes for RSV surveillance across the EU/EEA, to ensure the availability of a consistent evidence base for assessing future vaccination programmes.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85073057750&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.40.1900157
DO - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.40.1900157
M3 - Article
C2 - 31595876
AN - SCOPUS:85073057750
SN - 1025-496X
VL - 24
JO - EUROSURVEILLANCE
JF - EUROSURVEILLANCE
IS - 40
ER -
