Eurosurveillance - Volume 31, Issue 28, 16 July 2026

Hospital-onset bacteraemia and fungaemia (HOB) is a new target for automated surveillance of healthcare-associated infections.

We aimed to evaluate (i) whether data from a national laboratory-based antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance system (ISIS-AR) are a suitable source for fully automated HOB surveillance and (ii) whether the derived HOB rates from automated surveillance are a useful measure for national surveillance.

We applied an algorithm based on a consensus HOB definition to ISIS-AR data from 2018 to 2023. We performed: (i) technical evaluation of the data to determine their suitability for automated HOB surveillance, (ii) outcome validation of automatically identified HOB cases in four hospitals, and (iii) qualitative interviews with stakeholders on the anticipated value of HOB surveillance.

Most parameters required for HOB identification were present, except for hospital admission dates (≥ 80% available in only 14 hospitals). Outcome validation showed accurate identification of HOBs caused by pathogens (non-commensals), but identification of HOBs caused by common commensals varied between hospitals, reflecting laboratory policy differences. Interviewees emphasised that feedback from national HOB surveillance to hospitals can be valuable for monitoring local trends, as signal for in-depth investigations and benchmarking.

Dutch national automated HOB surveillance based on secondary use of national AMR surveillance data for pathogen-related HOBs is feasible, particularly if recording admission date is improved. Understanding local routine care and diagnostic practices is crucial for the interpretation of results. The main usefulness is expected at hospital level, while its value for national trend monitoring needs further study.

While bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have increased across Europe over the past decade, Poland continuously reported the lowest notification rates in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), raising concerns about under-ascertainment and diagnostic gaps.

We describe national STI trends in Poland from 2013 to 2024, temporal changes around 2020 and subsequent years, and demographic and geographic patterns relevant for STI control.

We analysed aggregated statutory surveillance data for syphilis, gonorrhoea and Chlamydia trachomatis infections, and calculated annual incidence rates overall and by sex, age group and voivodeship. Temporal trends were assessed using year-over-year per cent change and average annual per cent change (AAPC) estimated from log-linear models.

All three infections increased modestly before 2020, declined in 2020 and increased markedly thereafter. Between 2013 and 2024, incidence increased 2.7–3.8-fold. It was highest among men, young adults aged 20–34 years and in urbanised regions. By 2023, syphilis incidence reached 7.92 per 100,000 population in Poland compared with 9.9 per 100,000 in the EU/EEA, whereas gonorrhoea and chlamydia incidence remained substantially lower. National AAPC estimates were not statistically significant, although they increased in several demographic groups and voivodeships.

Reported bacterial STI notifications in Poland are increasing, particularly among young adults and in urban regions. Persistently low gonorrhoea and chlamydia notification rates relative to EU/EEA levels probably reflect differences in diagnostic access and testing intensity rather than low transmission. Improving surveillance completeness, access to NAAT diagnostics, and testing coverage will be important to enhance detection and control.