ECDC publishes European external influenza virus quality assessment programme for 2020 data

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published its European external influenza virus quality assessment programme, using data from 2020.

Influenza epidemics occur every winter with high impact on disease burden, hospitalisations and excess mortality in countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region. To understand the characteristics of circulating influenza viruses during seasonal epidemics, the ECDC performs virological influenza surveillance. Detected viruses are further characterised at national influenza centres (NICs) that are part of a wider network, the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS).

External quality assessment (EQA) is an instrument in assessing the quality of the generated data that are reported nationally and internationally through The European Surveillance System (TESSy) and presented in Flu News Europe, the joint ECDC and WHO Regional Office for Europe weekly influenza update.

Source: ECDC, 25 February 2022