Legionnaires’ disease in Europe 2013

This surveillance report is based on surveillance data for Legionnaires’ disease (LD) collected for 2013. Surveillance is carried out by the European Legionnaires’ Disease Surveillance Network (ELDSNet) and coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm. Data for all European countries were collected by nominated ELDSNet experts and electronically reported to The European Surveillance System (TESSy) database. Surveillance data were collected from two different schemes: the first scheme covers all cases reported from European Union (EU) Member States, Iceland and Norway; the second scheme covers all travel-associated cases of Legionnaires’ disease (TALD), including reports from countries outside the EU/EEA. The aims of these two schemes differ. The main objectives for collecting data on all nationally reported cases of LD are: • to monitor trends over time and compare them across Member States; • to provide evidence-based data for public health decisions and actions at EU and/or Member State level; • to monitor and evaluate prevention and control programmes targeting LD at national and European levels; and • to identify population groups at risk who are in need of targeted preventive measures. The surveillance of TALD aims primarily at identifying clusters of cases that may otherwise not have been detected at the national level, and at enabling timely investigation and control measures at the implicated accommodation sites in order to prevent further infections