Weekly releases (1997–2007) - Volume 12, Issue 12, 22 March 2007

Tuberculosis (TB) is a matter of concern for all countries in the World Health Organization European Region, although the epidemiological situation of the disease varies widely between countries. To mark World TB Day on 24 March 2007, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will hold a scientific seminar at the European Parliament on 22 March (http://www.ecdc.eu.int/tbseminar) to increase awareness and share views and knowledge about the importance of TB control in Europe. Data from a newly published report from EuroTB (a collaborating centre of WHO for the surveillance of TB) on cases of the disease notified during 2005 will be presented.

The Stop TB Partnership for Europe was launched on 10 October 2006 at a meeting of 25 leading European organisations held in Geneva. It is a regional-level entity established under the umbrella of the Global Partnership to Stop TB and aims to accelerate progress on tuberculosis control by promoting implementation of the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015 in the European region.

In September 2005, four notified tuberculosis (TB) cases were linked to a specific pub in a small seaside town in North Somerset, England. The pub had since closed and, following the convening of a multi-agency outbreak control team, a press release was made to raise awareness and prompt contacts to come forward for screening. During the following year, three further cases were linked to this outbreak.

There is an ongoing mumps outbreak in Bulgaria, with a total of 997 cases notified between 1 January and 18 March 2007. This number includes laboratory-confirmed and probable epidemiologically-linked clinical cases in line with the EU case definition and case classification that have been adopted for mumps surveillance purposes in Bulgaria since 2005.