Healthcare-associated infections

Greek experts at the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have highlighted urgent public health challenges, with a focus on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

In just 18 months, a pioneering program in Greece has averted approximately 60 deaths and 500 hospital-acquired infections, officials report. Launched in late 2021, the initiative targets a common yet often deadly complication in hospitals: central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI).

Slovenia is on track to eradicate hepatitis C. A projection made in collaboration with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control shows the country has the lowest hepatitis C virus (HCV) incidence rate in the EU.

A fungal superbug called Candida auris accounted for just 4.4% of all hospital infections in Greece last year, the head of the National Public Health Organization (EODY), Theoklis Zaoutis, said Saturday.

The new offshoot of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 known as Orthrus (CH.1.1) has arrived in Greece, according to the National Public Health Organization's (EODY) weekly epidemiological report. 

It said a total of 93 cases have been detected. What's more, cases of the dangerous Kraken subvariant (XBB.1.5) are increasing slowly, with seven cases identified so far. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating 109 childhood cases of a mysterious form of hepatitis, including five reported deaths, the agency said on May 6. 

The medical community around the world is on alert after the outbreak of acute hepatitis cases in children in various countries.

The most worrying thing of all, is the fact that some of the children who got sick (about 10%) needed a liver transplant, a development that shows the severity of the condition.

Ljubljana – One child in Slovenia is suspected of having fallen ill with hepatitis of unknown origin, Mojca Matičič, an infectologist at UKC Ljubljana hospital, told the press on Monday. Further test results are yet to come in, but the child’s condition is good.

Estimates concerning acute hepatitis in children are particularly worrying, especially for the age group of 5-17.

Health Minister Ioana Mihaila said Thursday that Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) has allocated 150 million euros that come to the aid of hospitals to prevent nosocomial infections. Mihaila said that the Ministry of Health is considering measures to improve the under-reporting of infections related to the provision of healthcare.