ECDC Virtual Academy (EVA)

As a whole, detection and assessment capabilities enable Member States’ preparedness systems to recognise and characterise a threat, monitor its impact on the population, and evaluate the efficacy of interventions to control the threat. Assessment depends on having laboratory and surveillance capacities in place before an event; this includes appropriate legal arrangements. Information flowing from assessment activities must be communicated to all segments of the public health preparedness system, as well as with the public, to support policy development and implementation, prevention and treatment efforts.

Identifying that a health threat with cross-border potential has arisen, either in one or more of the Member States, or elsewhere in the world that could affect Europe.

For communicable diseases, identifying the (possibly novel) pathogen and its epidemiologic characteristics such as reservoir and potential sources, modes of transmission, risk groups, level and duration of infectiousness, virulence (e.g. case–fatality rate), generation time, and available control strategies. Based on this, assess the risk. For other health risks, characterising the current and potential consequences for human health in directly affected and other Member States.

Developing case definitions, conducting outbreak investigations and case-control studies to validate and analyse case reports, identify pathogens and sources of exposure, and to aid in risk characterisation.

Indicator- and event-based surveillance, including case reporting, and active surveillance, to identify outbreaks, characterise affected population groups, monitor disease trends and monitor the impact of control strategies.