Weekly releases (1997–2007) - Volume 6, Issue 42, 17 October 2002

The current European guidelines recommend that interferon alfa be given in combination with ribavirin as the treatment of choice for patients with moderate or severe hepatitis C virus (HCV) related disease (1). In the United Kingdom, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has endorsed this therapy (2). Recently, however, two types of pegylated interferon, which differ in their pharmacokinetic and chemical properties, have been produced. The addition of polyethyleneglycol to the standard interferon molecule extends its half life thus allowing a more convenient once-weekly dosing regimen with more favourable pharmacokinetic properties.

For almost 10 years now, there has been close cooperation between the national structures responsible for infectious disease surveillance in the European Union (EU). This work was first formalised when the heads of EU surveillance units, with support from the European Commission, produced a charter for surveillance across the EU. This group has since continued a very fruitful exchange of ideas and initiatives under the slightly misleading name of the Charter Group. In April this year, the group decided to go one step further, and to set up a more formal Council of European State Epidemiologists for Communicable Disease (CESE). Led by the outgoing chairman, Professor Pauli Leinikki of KTL, the National Public Health Institute of Finland, the CESE group has developed a Strategy for Development of Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases in the European Union 2003-2008 (http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/lip/latest/doc/2002/com2002_0029en01.doc).