Identification of a novel coronavirus in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome

BACKGROUND: The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has recently been identified as a new clinical entity. SARS is thought to be caused by an unknown infectious agent. METHODS: Clinical specimens from patients with SARS were searched for unknown viruses with the use of cell cultures and molecular techniques. RESULTS: A novel coronavirus was identified in patients with SARS. The virus was isolated in cell culture, and a sequence 300 nucleotides in length was obtained by a polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR)-based random-amplification procedure. Genetic characterization indicated that the virus is only distantly related to known coronaviruses (identical in 50 to 60 percent of the nucleotide sequence). On the basis of the obtained sequence, conventional and real-time PCR assays for specific and sensitive detection of the novel virus were established. Virus was detected in a variety of clinical specimens from patients with SARS but not in controls. High concentrations of viral RNA of up to 100 million molecules per milliliter were found in sputum. Viral RNA was also detected at extremely low concentrations in plasma during the acute phase and in feces during the late convalescent phase. Infected patients showed seroconversion on the Vero cells in which the virus was isolated. CONCLUSIONS: The novel coronavirus might have a role

Surveillance de la grippe dans les pays membres du réseau européen European Influenza Surveillance Scheme d'octobre 2000 à avril 2001.

Le système de surveillance de la grippe en Europe, baptisé "European Influenza Surveillance Scheme" (EISS), est opérationnel sous sa forme actuelle depuis 1996. Les objectifs de EISS sont les suivants: 1/ faciliter l'échange rapide d'informations sur l'activité grippale obtenues grâce aux médecins sentinelles et aux laboratoires de virologie; 2/ combiner les données médicales et virologiques provenant de la même population; 3/ fournir aux autorités nationales et européennes et à l’Organisation mondiale de la santé une description de la situation de la grippe en Europe de façon continue; 4/ contribuer à la détermination de la composition vaccinale et 5/ aider chaque réseau national à fournir une information de très grande qualité, basée, si possible, sur des indicateurs standardisés et comparables à l’échelon européen. EISS bénéficie du soutien financier de la DG SANCO/F4 de l'Union européenne depuis 1999. Nous décrivons ici les résultats enregistrés pendant l'hiver 2000-2001, marqués principalement par des cas d’infection grippale de type A (H1N1), suivis de cas d’infection par le virus grippal de type B, forme la plus fréquente dans certains pays. Dans la plupart des pays couverts par EISS, les pics des taux de morbidité étaient inférieurs à ceux enregistrés durant la saison précédente (1999-2000), ce qui illustre une activité grippale modérée

Implementation of the community network of reference laboratories for human influenza in Europe.

Contains fulltext : 47634.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)BACKGROUND: The increased need for accurate influenza laboratory surveillance data in the European Union required formalisation of the existing network of collaborating national influenza reference laboratories participating in the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS). OBJECTIVE: To establish a Community Network of Reference Laboratories for Human Influenza in Europe (CNRL). METHODS: Virologists in EISS defined the objective and tasks of the CNRL. Performance of the laboratories in the tasks was monitored by questionnaire-based inventories and quality control assessments (QCA). Subsequently, actions were defined to improve the performance of the CNRL. RESULTS: The CNRL started in April 2003 and included as of May 2004 32 laboratories in 24 European countries. The objective is to provide high quality reference services for human influenza surveillance, early warning and pandemic preparedness in Europe. The defined basic tasks are direct detection, culture, typing, subtyping and strain characterisation of influenza virus, diagnostic influenza serology and storage of clinical specimens and virus isolates. The questionnaire-based inventories and QCAs revealed that the majority of CNRL laboratories perform well in most of the basic tasks, although improvements are needed in certain areas of virus testing. Therefore, task groups have been established to further improve the methods used in the network. The CNRL has proven its usefulness during the 2003-2004 season by the reporting of accurate data concerning the flu epidemic caused by A/Fujian/411/2002 (H3N2)-like viruses and by the rapid sharing of information, protocols and reagents during the A(H5N1) and A(H7N3) epizootics in Asia and Canada. CONCLUSION: EISS has established a functioning Community Network of Reference Laboratories for Human Influenza in Europe and laid the foundation for further enhancement and collaborations. Important next steps include improving the laboratories to carry out all basic tasks and collaboration with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

Monitoring of influenza in the EISS European network member countries from October 2000 to April 2001

In countries covered by the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS), the 2000-2001 winter was marked mainly by the spread of influenza A(H1N1) viruses. Influenza B, which globally represented a minority of cases, was common later in the season and predominant in Great Britain, Ireland, and Portugal. Influenza activity was at its maximum during the period of January and February/March 2001 with little time lag between countries (maximum four weeks). Overall, the morbidity rates reported were much lower than for the previous season, illustrating a moderate level of influenza activity

Influenza pandemic planning in Europe

The World Health Organization strongly recommends that all countries prepare in advance multidisciplinary pandemic plans to prevent and control the next influenza pandemic. We carried out a survey of influenza surveillance methods among members of the European Influenza Surveillance Schemes, EISS, which included a set of questions on pandemic planning. All but one of the countries have a pandemic plan or are in the process of producing one. A coordination of these different national plans at a European level would probably contribute to their improved impact and efficiency

Laboratory capability and surveillance testing for middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection in the who European region, June 2013

Since September 2012, over 90 cases of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus, now named Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), have been reported in the Middle East and Europe. To ascertain the capabilities and testing experience of national reference laboratories across the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region to detect this virus, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe conducted a joint survey in November 2012 and a follow-up survey in June 2013. In 2013, 29 of 52 responding WHO European Region countries and 24 of 31 countries of the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) had laboratory capabilities to detect and confirm MERS-CoV cases, compared with 22 of 46 and 18 of 30 countries, respectively, in 2012. By June 2013, more than 2,300 patients had been tested in 23 countries in the WHO European Region with nine laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV cases. These data indicate that the Region has developed significant capability to detect this emerging virus in accordance with WHO and ECDC guidance. However, not all countries had developed capabilities, and the needs to do so should be addressed. This includes enhancing collaborations between countries to ensure diagnostic capabilities for surveillance of MERS-CoV infections across the European Region