Re-emergence of enterovirus D68 in Europe after easing the COVID-19 lockdown, September 2021
Kimberley Benschop, Jan Albert, Andrés Antón, Cristina Andrés, Maitane Aranzamendi, Brynja Ármannsdóttir, Jean‐Luc Bailly, Fausto Baldanti, Guðrún Erna Baldvinsdóttir, Stuart Beard, Nataša Berginc, Sindy Böttcher, Soile Blomqvist, Laura Bubba, Cristina Calvo, María Cabrerizo, Annalisa Cavallero, Cristina Celma, Ferruccio Ceriotti, Inês Costa, Simon Cottrell, Margarita del Cuerpo, Jonathan Dean, Jennifer L. Dembinski, Sabine Diedrich, Javier Díez‐Domingo, DagnyHaug Dorenberg, Erwin Duizer, Robert Dyrdak, Diana Fanti, Ágnes Farkas, Susan Feeney, Jacky Flipse, Cillian De Gascun, Cristina Galli, Irina Georgieva, Laura Gifford, Raquel Guiomar, Mario Hönemann, Niina Ikonen, Marion Jeannoël, Laurence Josset, Kathrin Keeren, F. Xavier López‐Labrador, Melanie Maier, James McKenna, Adam Meijer, Beatriz Mengual‐Chuliá, Sofie Midgley, Audrey Mirand, Milagrosa Montes, Catherine Moore, Ursula Morley, Jean‐Luc Murk, Lubomira Nikolaeva–Glomb, Sanela Numanovic, Massimo Oggioni, Paula Palminha, Elena Pariani, Laura Pellegrinelli, Antonio Piralla, Corinna Pietsch, Luis Piñeiro, Núria Rabella, Petra Rainetová, Sara Uceda Renteria, María Pilar Romero‐Gómez, Marijke Reynders, Lieuwe Roorda, Carita Savolainen‐Kopra, Isabelle Schuffenecker, Aysa Soynova, C.M.A. Swanink, Tina Uršič, Jaco J. Verweij, Jorgina Vila, Tytti Vuorinen, Peter Simmonds, Thea Kølsen Fischer, Heli Harvala
Abstract
We report a rapid increase in enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infections, with 139 cases reported from eight European countries between 31 July and 14 October 2021. This upsurge is in line with the seasonality of EV-D68 and was presumably stimulated by the widespread reopening after COVID-19 lockdown. Most cases were identified in September, but more are to be expected in the coming months. Reinforcement of clinical awareness, diagnostic capacities and surveillance of EV-D68 is urgently needed in Europe.