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.
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

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