On today's episode, we discuss EU Reference Laboratories (EURLs) with Andreas Hoefer from ECDC and Rita Figuera from the European Commission’s DG SANTE.
They explain the vital role these laboratories play, how both organisations support national labs, ensure test results are reliable across borders, and strengthen Europe's ability to respond to health threats as part of the European Health Union.
Find all information on the EU Reference Laboratories for public health on EC pages.
Learn how ECDC works with EU Reference Laboratories on the ECDC portal.
Interested in ECDC and what we do? Visit our portal ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media for the latest news!
In this episode of ECDC On Air, we discuss the seasonal spread of respiratory viruses with ECDC's Principal Expert in Respiratory Viruses - Angeliki Melidou.
Angeliki explores the impact of viruses like influenza, RSV, and COVID-19, the importance of vaccination, and practical measures to protect both individuals and healthcare systems.
Tune in for insights on how to navigate the winter months safely.
Read about the current respiratory disease situation on erviss.org. For more information about ECDC in general visit ecdc.europa.eu and follow our social media for the latest news.
In this episode of ECDC On Air , we talk to ECDC's Head of Section - Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections - Dr Diamantis Plachouras, who explains the rising threat of the drug-resistant fungus Candidozyma (Candida) auris.
Discovered only in 2009, C. auris has become a serious problem in European hospitals - spreading between patients, persisting on surfaces and equipment, and resisting multiple antifungal treatments.
Diamantis outlines how infections develop, why treatment is so difficult, and what the latest ECDC survey shows: over 4,000 EU/EEA cases since 2013, including 1,346 in 2023 alone, with several countries already facing regional or national endemicity.
He also shares why early detection, infection prevention and control, and timely communication between hospitals are key to stopping outbreaks - and why success is still possible.
🎧 Tune in for a clear look at one of Europe’s most urgent patient safety concerns.
Interested in the topic? Check more on C. auris here.
For more information about ECDC in general, visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.
In this episode of ECDC On Air, trainees from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control share their unique experiences and insights about the traineeship program.
They discuss their backgrounds, daily responsibilities, and provide valuable advice for future trainees. The conversation also covers life in Stockholm, career opportunities post-traineeship, and answers to audience questions, culminating in a rapid-fire round of fun questions.
So, meet Arnau Cabruja Amat, Paula Messa Carmona, Dana Alsaialy and Márcia Luís - and find out more about the traineeships at ECDC.
Interested in applying? The call has just been opened (9 September 2025). Don't miss it!
In this special episode of ECDC On Air, Bruno Ciancio - Head of Unit - Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-preventable Disease at ECDC, discusses the recent Rapid Risk Assessment on diphtheria, its symptoms, transmission, and the importance of vaccination. He highlights the current trends in diphtheria cases, particularly among vulnerable populations, and emphasizes the need for timely public health measures and effective treatment strategies.
The conversation also compares diphtheria with measles, underscoring the critical role of vaccination in preventing infectious diseases.
Read more about the situation in our press release here and find the full text of the Rapid Risk Assessment on diphtheria here.
More information on epidemiology in Europe in general can be found on our portal: ecdc.europa.eu and social media channels.
Why are hepatitis A cases rising sharply in parts of Europe - and what can public health professionals do about it?
In this episode of ECDC on Air, Linda Trönnberg - Principal Expert in Food-, Waterborne and Zoonotic Diseases, and Theresa Enkirch - Expert in Microbiology and Molecular Epidemiology break down the latest hepatitis A outbreak affecting Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia, highlighting who is being most affected, how the virus is spreading, and what actions can help contain it.
From person-to-person transmission in areas with limited sanitation to the role of genomic sequencing and the importance of tailored outreach, this episode explores the science and strategy behind the response and what cross-border coordination can achieve.
This is the first episode in the series where we focus on the recently published Rapid RIsk Assesments on infectious diseases.
The RRA on Hepatitis A cases from 18 June 2025 can be found here.
For more on Hepatitis, check the dedicated pages on the ECDC portal.
More information on epidemiology in Europe in general can be found on our portal: https://ecdc.europa.eu and social media channels.
In this episode of #ECDCOnAir, the discussion revolves around vaccination acceptance, exploring the factors influencing people's health choices, the role of social and behavioural sciences, the impact of misinformation, and the trends in vaccination rates across Europe.
ECDC experts - Sarah Earnshaw Blomquist and Andrea Würz provide insights into how understanding these dynamics can help improve vaccination uptake and public health strategies.
Learn more about the 5 C's here and join the ECDC Lighthouse.
For more information about ECDC in general, visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.
In this episode of ECDC: On Air we discuss the rising cases of measles in Europe with Maria Keramarou - ECDC's expert in vaccine preventable diseases.
We explore the highly contagious nature of measles, the importance of vaccination, the resurgence of cases post-COVID, and the challenges of vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
We talk about the critical role of herd immunity and the need for reliable information to combat the spread of measles and protect vulnerable populations.
Learn more about the European Immunization Week on our dedicated page here.
Find all the information about vaccinations in YOUR language on the European Vaccination Information Portal.
In this episode, we explore Europe's progress toward the 2030 SDGs with Charlotte Deogan, expert in communicable diseases at ECDC.
This episode unpacks SDG Target 3.3, which aims to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and combat viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections by 2030.
As ECDC releases its first comprehensive monitoring report on the SDGs, we discuss the EU/EEA's current status and whether we are on track.
ECDC’s reports and other work on the SDGs can be found here. For more information about ECDC in general, visit https://ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.
Marking World TB Day 2025, this episode explores the data on tuberculosis in Europe based on the latest surveillance report, published recently by ECDC and WHO.
Veronica Cristea, Scientific Officer at ECDC, discusses the overall TB situation in the EU/EEA, the impact of COVID-19, challenges in treatment success, and the concerning rise in TB cases among children.
Veronica also highlights the steps needed to accelerate progress towards ending TB.Find out more about World TB Day here.
For more information about ECDC in general, visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.
This episode explores the growing threat of avian influenza, which has led to massive outbreaks in bird populations and an increasing number of cases in mammals.
With nearly 70 human cases and one death confirmed in the US recently linked to the H5N1 subtype, concerns are rising about its potential to spread among humans in Europe and cause a pandemic.
Experts from European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) discuss the risks to humans, the impact on animals, and the preventive measures that EU Member States can take.
Listen in to Alessandro Broglia (EFSA) and Katriina Willgert (ECDC) and learn more.
Read more on the highly pathogenic avian flu on ECDC portal and on EFSA's pages.
In this episode of ECDC on Air, we speak with Leonidas Alexakis, an expert in epidemic intelligence at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Leonidas shares insights from his recent deployment to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of the European Health Task Force. He discusses his role in supporting the response to the ongoing mpox outbreak, the challenges of working in a resource-limited setting, and the lessons learned from working alongside WHO and local health authorities. Tune in for a deeper understanding of international public health efforts and the complexities of responding to emerging disease outbreaks. Learn more about mpox here. For more information about ECDC in general visit https://ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.
In this interview, we sit down with Eeva Broberg, ECDC Principal Expert on respiratory viruses, who tells us why respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an often overlooked disease which represents a considerable risk to certain groups every winter.
Eeva also talks about the impact on healthcare, and whether current treatments like monoclonal antibodies and the introduction of vaccines in Europe are a game changer.
Read more about RSV on the European Vaccination Information Portal: vaccination-info.europa.eu/en/rsv
In this episode, we sit down with Agnė Bajorinienė - International Relations Officer at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), to discuss the agency’s role in preparing Western Balkan, Türkiye and EU candidate countries for full EU membership from public health perspective.
Agnė explains the importance of public health cooperation, highlights ongoing projects, and outlines efforts to strengthen disease surveillance, laboratory capacities, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) response in these regions.
She also shares insights into how ECDC is helping these countries align with EU health regulations and address specific regional challenges.
Learn more about the international cooperation of ECDC here and here.
For more information about ECDC in general visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media: bit.ly/ECDCSocialMedia
In this episode, we delve into the world of tuberculosis (TB) with ECDC microbiology expert Csaba Kodmon.
We explore the importance of molecular surveillance in tracking genetic variations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, identifying emerging strains, and preventing epidemics. Csaba discusses cross-border molecular clusters and how data from EU member states aids in understanding TB transmission dynamics.
Read more about TB on our dedicated page here.
For more information about ECDC in general please visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.
In this episode, we make a final interview with ECDC Director Andrea Ammon, who will soon be retiring after a long career in public health.
Andrea Ammon speaks about her 19 years at ECDC, including 9 years as Director, and reflects on how the agency has evolved.
She also tells us about the most memorable moments and challenges, including managing the Centre during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information about ECDC in general please visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.
According to the latest ECDC survey, each year, 4.3 million patients in hospitals in the EU/EEA acquire at least one healthcare-associated infection during their stay in the hospital.
Diamantis Plachouras - ECDC Principal Expert in Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections tells us why this issue needs to be tackled as swift as possible and goes deeper into the data coming from the third point prevalence survey (PPS) of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals, coordinated by ECDC in 2022-2023.
Read more about the survey here.
For more information about ECDC in general please visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.
Public health institutes across Europe increasingly recognise the value of examining public health trends and imagining what the future may look like according to different scenarios.
In this episode, Gerjon Ikink, ECDC principal expert on public health foresight, explains what foresight is, why it is important in public health, and how it can be translated into concrete action to prepare for future infectious disease threats.
For more information about ECDC in general please visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.
For today's episode we sit down with Carlos Carvalho - ECDC's Principal Expert in Digital Surveillance to talk about the state of play of making the public health data flow up to speed in the third decade of the XXI-st century and usable for modern surveillance of infectious diseases.
How far are we in creating the fully digital health data system in Europe, enabling us to track infectious diseases faster? What are the hurdles we still need to jump over? Listen to our podcast and find out!
For more information about ECDC in general please visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.
In this episode we take a closer look at the data collection for respiratory viruses and why we should take this more seriously than just a cough or a sneeze.
Nick Bundle, ECDC expert on respiratory viruses, also gives us the lowdown on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), a new surveillance tool which presents weekly data on influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
ERVISS platform is available here.
For more information about ECDC in general please visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.