Eurosurveillance - Volume 17, Issue 39, 27 September 2012

We present two real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assays for a novel human coronavirus (CoV), targeting regions upstream of the E gene (upE) or within open reading frame (ORF)1b, respectively. Sensitivity for upE is 3.4 copies per reaction (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.5-6.9 copies) or 291 copies/mL of sample. No cross-reactivity was observed with coronaviruses OC43, NL63, 229E, SARS-CoV, nor with 92 clinical specimens containing common human respiratory viruses. We recommend using upE for screening and ORF1b for confirmation. .

Two cases of rapidly progressive acute respiratory infection in adults associated with a novel coronavirus have generated an international public health response. The two infections were acquired three months apart, probably in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. An interim case definition has been elaborated and was published on the World Health Organization website on 25 September 2012.

Since 2007, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has supported I-MOVE (influenza monitoring vaccine effectiveness), a network to monitor seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA). To set up I-MOVE, we conducted a literature review and a survey on methods used in the EU/EEA to measure IVE and held expert consultations to guide the development of generic protocols to estimate IVE in the EU/EEA. On the basis of these protocols, from the 2008/09 season, I-MOVE teams have conducted multicentre case-control, cohort and screening method studies, undertaken within existing sentinel influenza surveillance systems. The estimates obtained include effectiveness against medically attended laboratory-confirmed influenza and are adjusted for the main confounding factors described in the literature. I-MOVE studies are methodologically sound and feasible: the availability of various study designs, settings and outcomes provides complementary evidence, facilitating the interpretation of the results. The IVE estimates have been useful in helping to guide influenza vaccine policy at national and European level. I-MOVE is a unique platform for exchanging views on methods to estimate IVE. The scientific knowledge and experience in practical, managerial and logistic issues can be adapted to monitor surveillance of the effectiveness of other vaccines. .

In France, almost 23,000 cases of measles and 10 deaths have been reported between January 2008 and August 2012. French health authorities recommend delivery of human polyvalent immunoglobulins in the event of exposure to a measles case for some categories of unvaccinated persons (children under the age of 12 months, immunocompromised persons and pregnant women), within six days after exposure and following laboratory confirmation of the contact case. We carried out a postal survey among 368 French hospital pharmacies to evaluate the number of persons affected by this measure between 1 January 2010 and 31 August 2011, to describe the characteristics of these patients and to evaluate the application of the recommendations in terms of delay between exposure and immunoglobulin delivery, and confirmation of the contact case. The response rate to the survey was 73%. In total, 400 immunoglobulin deliveries were listed, most of them for children under the age of one year, and 84% of the 250 administrations with available information occurred within six days after exposure, as recommended. However, only 48% of the 209 treated contacts with available information were laboratory-confirmed when the immunoglobulins were delivered. This survey is the first evaluation of this recommendation since its introduction in 2005 and suggests that the recommendations may need to be updated.