ECDC: On Air

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, Maria Keramarou, ECDC's expert in vaccine-preventable diseases, discusses the rising cases of measles in Europe.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.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.For more information about ECDC in general, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ecdc.europa.eu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠social media⁠.

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.

On today's episode we are joined by Otilia Mårdh, Medical Epidemiologist at ECDC, to discuss the latest reports on sexually transmitted infections in Europe. We explore the key findings from the recent reports, discuss the implications for public health, and uncover the strategies being implemented to address the rising rates of STIs. You can find the reports here. For more information about ECDC in general please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠⁠⁠⁠ or follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠social media⁠⁠⁠⁠.

On today's episode, we sit down with Ines Steffens, editor-in-chief of Eurosurveillance. Eurosurveillance is an open-access peer-reviewed scientific journal devoted to the epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and control of communicable diseases. Published weekly, with 50 issues per year, it features short rapid communications, longer in-depth research articles, surveillance and outbreak reports, reviews and perspective papers. We discuss the journal's history, scope, and plans for its future. You can find more information about Eurosurveillance here. For more information about ECDC in general please visit ⁠⁠⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠⁠⁠ or follow us on ⁠⁠⁠social media⁠⁠⁠.

Today's episode is special one, and is hosted by James Ramsey, Head of the Communication Unit at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). He is joined by experts from ECDC, EFSA, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Environment Agency (EEA), and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to discuss the One Health prespective. Our well-being depends on the health of animals, plants and our environment. What affects one affects all the others, and increasingly so. A One Health perspective is about joining forces to find integrated solutions to common challenges such as climate change and antibiotic resistance. Join us to hear from experts at five EU scientific agencies about how we can put One Health into practice. Whether safeguarding access to life-saving medicines or combating the next pandemic, a One Health approach will be essential to how our society navigates the future.   Host: James Ramsay, Head of the Communication Unit at EFSA Guests: Mike Catchpole, Chief Scientist at the ⁠European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)⁠ Carlos das Neves, Chief Scientist at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Dario Piselli, Expert in environment and health at the European Environment Agency (EEA) Wim De Coen, Head of Hazard Assessment at the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Steffen Thirstrup, Chief Medical Officer at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) EFSA's Science on the Menu podcast ECHA's Safer Chemicals podcast For more information in general please visit ⁠⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠⁠ or follow us on ⁠⁠social media⁠⁠.

For this episode of ECDC on Air, we sit down with ECDC's expert in genetic epidemiology and bioinformatics – Theresa Enkirch. Theresa gives us an overview of what genetic epidemiologists and bioinformaticians do and how that has changed the current epidemiological world. She also talks about a brand new ECDC course – the GenEpiBioTrain – that can properly boost one's knowledge about all matters regarding bioinformatics and genetic epidemiology. Want to know more? Check the ECDC's Virtual Academy for the courses here. You can find more information about ECDC's work on our website and on social media.

Every year ⁠World AIDS Day⁠ is marked on the 1st of December. Beginning in 1988 as the first-ever international day for global health, it is now in its 35th year. We sat down with Anastasia Pharris, Principal expert in Communicable Diseases, to discuss the latest joint ECDC-WHO Europe HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe report to take stock of where Europe stands with the latest developments, challenges, and achievements. As a part of World AIDS Day, ECDC will host a digital event on ⁠HIV: Towards zero stigma⁠ on the 6th of December 2023. The event is open to the public and will focus on the recent insights on HIV stigma in Europe, how it is perceived in different contexts, and examples of good practices to ensure that the goal of zero stigma is achieved. You can find more information on the surveillance report ⁠here⁠.   For more information in general please visit ⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠ or follow us on ⁠social media⁠.

Is the artificial intelligence going to take our jobs? Or will it change the daily work of the ECDC experts looking for epidemic signals? Perhaps it already does? In this episode we sit down for a chat with Gianfranco Spiteri - ECDC's Group Leader in the Epidemic Intelligence team to take a look at the recent AI developments and what the new tools can bring to his daily work. Find more information about ECDC's work on our portal here: ecdc.europa.eu

Joaquin Baruch who was part of the ECDC Fellowship Programme for epidemiologists - EPIET - talks to us about his experiences as a fellow in Malta, as well as doing field work in places such as Western Sahara, Algeria and Mozambique. This episode was recorded during ESCAIDE 2022, and is aired to mark the World Field Epidemiology Day on 7 September. If you are interested in applying for the ECDC fellowship programmes for epidemiologists and microbiologists, please click here. Be sure to check out the Disease Detectives - an ECDC: on Air episode featuring an interview with ECDC's Head of Fellowship Programme Adam Roth - here - to learn more about the opportunity. You can also see the Postcards from the Field (in a video format) where fellows share their experiences of field work here.

In this episode, we dig a little deeper into the fascinating world of biostatistics. Our guide is Gaetano Marrone - an ECDC expert in the field of statistics and its use in public health. Listen in to learn more! And don't forget to visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for general information about ECDC, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠social media⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Have you ever wondered how substances of human origin (SoHo) - blood, tissues, cells, organs - can be used in medical therapies? In this episode, ECDCs SoHo Team talks about the lifesaving medical benefits that SoHos can bring and the measures to ensure that they are used safely. The team also gives an overview of the legislation and regulation at EU-level as well as the importance of cross-border co-operation. To learn more about the substances of human origin and the role ECDC plays in keeping them safe click here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠⁠⁠⁠, or follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠social media⁠⁠⁠⁠.

On this episode we are speaking with Georgios Theocharopoulos, Scientific Officer for Emergency Preparedness and Response, to discuss ECDC4AfricaCDC, a four-year capacity- and partnership-building project between ECDC and Africa CDC. You can find more information on the ECDC4AfricaCDC project here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠⁠⁠⁠, or follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠social media⁠⁠⁠⁠.

With the pandemic lessons in mind, steps are taken for Europe to be stronger and better prepared to tackle current and emerging threats of infectious diseases. ECDC's new reinforced mandate gives the agency a stronger role to support the EU Member States with surveillance, joint preparedness and response planning and issue stronger guidance during emergencies. Orla Condell, an Emergency Preparedness and Response expert from ECDC, shares in this episode her insights on the process of building an EU Health Task Force to mobilise and deploy outbreak assistance teams and to strengthen preparedness capacities. For more on the EU Health Task Force visit the dedicated page here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ⁠⁠⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠⁠⁠, or follow us on ⁠⁠⁠social media⁠⁠⁠.

It's 5 May and we mark today the World Hand Hygiene Day. Hand hygiene or simply - hand washing is one of the simplest, yet most important and effective measure to lower the chances of catching or spreading infectious diseases in public spaces and in healthcare settings! We asked ECDC's expert in Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections - Diamantis Plachouras to tell us a bit more about the matter - so wash your hands, put your headphones or speakers on, and listen in! For more on hand hygiene, visit our World #HandHygieneDay dedicated page ⁠here⁠. For general information about ECDC, please visit ⁠⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠⁠, or follow us on ⁠⁠social media⁠⁠.

It is April 2023 and more than three years have passed since the first cases of COVID-19 were recorded. In this episode we ask Bruno Ciancio, ECDC's Head of Surveillance, to give an overview of the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic until now, explain the current state of the pandemic, and provide a glimpse at how it may evolve in the future. For all ECDC information on COVID-19 click ⁠here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ⁠⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠⁠, or follow us on ⁠⁠social media⁠⁠.

European Immunization Week (EIW) is marked across Europe every year in the final week of April. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of immunisation for the general health and well-being of the European and wider population. To mark the start of EIW, we have invited the ECDC's Deputy Chief Scientist - Piotr Kramarz to talk about the importance of vaccination, the hurdles and current issues we need to overcome. You can find ECDC's information on vaccines here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠, or follow us on ⁠social media⁠.

Today, 24th March is World Tuberculosis Day, so there isn't a better time to talk about TB and the different ways to fight it. Our expert - Senia Rosales-Klintz tells us that this indeed is the plan, and with a deadline for 2030. Can it be done? If you would like to read the latest news on TB and see the details of the World TB Day campaign, visit our website here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ecdc.europa.eu, or follow us on social media.

In this episode we catch up with ECDC's Director Andrea Ammon, who gives us the lowdown on the agency's new extended mandate and the EU regulation on serious cross-border threats to health. Andrea Ammon explains how this will help to better protect European citizens from health threats through improved surveillance, smoother international cooperation, and strengthened preparedness and prevention. You can read more about the impact of the new mandate here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ecdc.europa.eu, or follow us on social media.

On this episode we are speaking with Cornelia Adlhoch again, and discussing the avian influenza outbreak, its spread to other animals, and whether we should worry about it spreading further. If you would like to read more about the latest report about the ongoing avian influenza outbreaks in birds, you can find it here. If you would like to know more about EFSA, listen to their podcast Science on the Menu. You can also hear Cornelia's previous episode on Avian flu here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ecdc.europa.eu, or follow us on social media.

In this episode we learn about virus mutations by speaking to Erik Alm, ECDC Principal Expert on Applied Molecular Biology. Erik talks about the reasons why viruses mutate, whether new variants are generally more transmissible and cause more severe disease, and how worried we should be about new SARS-CoV-2 mutations. Learn more about the current #COVID19 situation in EU/EEA - see the weekly report mentioned by Erik in our podcast here and visit the page dedicated to COVID-19 pandemic on our portal here. Follow us on social media - see where and how.

How much information can we get from raw health data? Why are statistics so important for our collective health? We spoke with Joana Gomes Dias, ECDC's expert in Biostatistics, about the important role data can play. In one example, Joana explains the direct impact of COVID-19 patients' health data on state-adapted vaccination policies. If you would like to know more about the data ECDC uses, you can find it here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ecdc.europa.eu, or follow us on social media.

This time we sit down with Barbara Albiger - ECDC expert specialising in scientific processes, who explains the steps of preparing scientific recommendations and advice. We go through the nitty-gritty of the data and information collection, verification and expert double-checks that precede the publication of final measures to be taken. We also touch base on the dangers science has been confronted with during the last three years of the pandemic. You can read more about the ECDC's work in this field on our website here.

In this episode we catch up with Liselotte Diaz-Högberg, one of ECDC's experts on antimicrobial resistance. Liselotte explains why it's so important that we are prudent with the use of antibiotics so that they remain effective. She also tells us more about the latest data on deaths, resistance levels and antibiotic consumption. You can find all of the most recent datasets, information and the communication campaign on the European Antibiotic Awareness Day pages here.

Today we are speaking with Laura Espinosa again, but this time about vibrio in the Baltic sea. While vibrio may not be so common, indeed, you may be entirely unfamiliar with it, there has been an increased observance of it in the summer months. Laura explains what ECDC does to keep an eye on this particular and peculiar bacteria. You can find find the Vibrio Map Viewer here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ecdc.europa.eu, or follow us on social media.

It is time to talk about the seasonal flu. And for that, we invited our ECDC influenza expert - Cornelia Adlhoch to talk about what we can expect from the upcoming flu season, whether we need to fear a dual #COVID19/influenza pandemic and how to best protect oneself. Check our 2022 seasonal #FluAwareness campaign here: https://bit.ly/FluAwareness2022 Want to learn more about #influenza? Visit our dedicated pages here: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/seasonal-influenza

This week, we at down with Catalin Bercaru and Niklas Bergstrand to talk about their recent missions to Poland and Romania as part of the World Health Organization's Ukraine Emergency Response. Communication is a key part of ECDC's response to ongoing health emergencies, and so Catalin and Niklas give us an insight into what is involved and how the theoretical can become practical. If you would like to know more about ECDC's work supporting countries neighbouring Ukraine, you can find that here. For general information about ECDC, please visit ecdc.europa.eu, or follow us on social media.

This week we sit down with ECDC expert in community preparedness, Svetla Tsolova, to talk about how local communities can help in infectious disease prevention and control. Is it difficult to train the communities in emergency preparedness? Are they an important part of the machine that needs constant oiling? Svetla responds to our questions and goes deeper into the topic, presenting some of the more interesting cases that have occurred in Europe recently. If you want to know more about preparedness, click here. We have covered more general aspects of preparedness in a previous episode. If you want to give it a listen, click here. You can find more information about ECDC at ecdc.europa.eu, or follow us on social media for the latest news.

On today's episode, we speak with Paul Riley - ECDC's expert on preparedness, specialising in biosecurity and biosafety. Paul points out the difference between the two terms, recalls some of the scariest moments of recent history of bioterrorist attacks and navigates us through the various ways we are protected from biological threats on all levels. For more information about ECDC, please visit ecdc.europa.eu, or follow us on Social Media.

Agoritsa Baka joins us once again to discuss the ongoing monkeypox outbreak that has seen large numbers of cases in Europe. Agoritsa explains what monkeypox is, where it comes from, and what you can do to keep safe. You can find all of ECDC's resources on monkeypox here. For more information on ECDC please visit ecdc.europa.eu. You can also follow us on social media for the latest news.

On today's episode, Principal Expert in Hepatitis, Erika Duffell, gives us a bit of background on what hepatitis is, and discusses the most up to date information on the ongoing hepatitis outbreak affecting children. You can find the latest situation updates on the ongoing hepatitis outbreak here, and more information on hepatitis in general here. For more news and information please visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.

In this episode, we speak with Lara Payne-Hallström, ECDC expert on Legionnaires' disease. Lara explains what this disease is, where its name comes from, and how and why ECDC monitors it. She also tells us how she got interested in this disease in particular, and gives us all the details on where the bacteria grows and develops. You can find out more about Legionnaires' disease here. For more news and information please visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.

Today ECDC has a special episode on the recent salmonella outbreak linked to chocolate products in Europe. Principle Expert in Food and Waterborne Diseases, Johanna Takkinen, speaks to us about what salmonella is, where it comes from, how it can spread, and what symptoms to look for. You can find ECDC's Epidemoloigical Update related to salmonella (with links to national food safety authorities) here, and you can read ECDC's Rapid Outbreak Assessment here. You can find additional information from the European Food Safety Authority. For more news and information please visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.

On today's episode, we speak with Dr Piotr Kramarz as he discusses his recent field mission to Poland, and working with the Polish health authorities to assist the large numbers of Ukrainian refugees. You can find more information about ECDC's on the Ukrainian crisis here and here. For more information about ECDC, please visit ecdc.europa.eu, or follow us on Social Media.

In recognition of World Tuberculosis day on March 24th, we will be hearing from Rob van Hest, Public Health TB Control Physician and Epidemiologist in the Regional Public Health Service of Groningen, Netherlands. Rob has extensive experience in TB screening and treatment, especially among urban risk groups such as the homeless and high-risk drug users, as well as asylum seekers. You will hear Rob discussing capture/recapture analysis, a method of measuring the impact of TB, its spread and control, and how to combat under-reporting. This recording was made before the covid-19 pandemic began. You can find more information about TB here. For more information about ECDC, please visit ecdc.europa.eu, or follow us on Social Media. Dr Rob van Hest's PhD on Capture-recapture methods in surveillance of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. Eurosurveillance article on the Completeness of tuberculosis (TB) notification: inventory studies and capture-recapture analyses, six European Union countries, 2014 to 2016. Dr. Rob van Hest (MD, MSc, PhD) works as a Public Health TB Control Physician and Epidemiologist in the Regional Public Health Service of Groningen. He has extensive experience in TB screening and treatment. In 2007 he completed a PhD thesis on the use of capture-recapture techniques for the surveillance of TB and other infectious diseases.

On today's episode, we speak with Laura Espinosa, Epidemic Intelligence Expert at ECDC, about Epitweetr. This tool allows users to automatically monitor trends of tweets with the aim of detecting public health threats early. It was designed to support public health experts with the early detection of threats from infectious diseases but can be extended to all hazards and other fields of study by modifying the topics and keywords. You can find more information about Epitweetr here, or see the Epitweetr page on Github. You can find more information on ECDC here, or follow us on Social Media for the latest news.

In this episode, ECDC expert Cornelia Adlhoch talks all about avian influenza – how it spreads, how much of a threat it poses to humans, and the ‘cathedral silence' that farmers sometimes experience when walking into an infected chicken coop. Learn more about avian flu on ECDC pages here too: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/avian-influenza

In this episode, we are joined by René Niehus, Expert in Mathematical Modelling, in order to find out more about how ECDC uses models in public health. We get to understand the different kinds of data that can go into models, and how continually analysing new data can build better models in the future. You can find more information on the COVID-19 Forecasting Hub here. You can find more information on ECDC here, or follow us on Social Media for the latest news.

On today's episode, we sit down with Julien Beauté, Expert in General Surveillance. We discuss ECDC's surveillance activities and how the surveillance process works from collection to output for diseases such as measles, HIV, and of course more recently COVID-19. To find out more about ECDC's surveillance data, please click here. For more general information on ECDC please visit ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on Social Media.

The 31st of December 2019 began as normal for Jordi Borrell Pique, the Epidemic Intelligence Officer on duty for ECDC. Soon, media reports began to arrive of patients showing signs of a ‘pneumonia of unknown etiology' linked to a wet market in Wuhan. For this episode, we sit down with Jordi to recount those early days of COVID-19 at ECDC and remember how quickly things changed. For more information about COVID-19 and ECDC, please visit us at ecdc.europa.eu or follow us on social media.