Exploring Campylobacter seasonality across Europe using The European Surveillance System (TESSy), 2008 to 2016

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Foodborne Illness Surveillance
• Public Health

Background:

• Campylobacteriosis is the leading foodborne illness in the EU, with ~9 million cases annually.
• A distinct seasonal peak in campylobacteriosis occurs during early to mid-summer across many European countries.
• Previous studies in the early 2000s identified seasonality and links to weather patterns, prompting new control measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze changes in campylobacteriosis seasonality across Europe between 2008 and 2016.
• To investigate associations between campylobacteriosis incidence, temperature, and precipitation.
• To evaluate the European Surveillance System (TESSy) for cross-European infectious disease analysis.

Main Methods:

• Ward's Minimum Variance Clustering to group countries by seasonal patterns.
• Two-stage multivariate meta-analysis to assess environmental associations.
• Utilized data from the European Surveillance System (TESSy).

Main Results:

• Nordic countries exhibited a pronounced peak in mid- to late summer (weeks 29-32).
• Most other European nations showed earlier, less pronounced peaks (around week 24 in UK, Ireland, Hungary, Slovakia).
• Campylobacteriosis incidence demonstrated positive correlations with temperature and, to a lesser extent, precipitation.

Conclusions:

• The timing and intensity of campylobacteriosis seasonal peaks in Europe remain consistent with earlier observations.
• The European Surveillance System (TESSy) proves valuable for cross-European seasonal analysis of infectious diseases.
• The effectiveness of TESSy is contingent on the reporting infrastructure of individual member states.