# ECDC

> European Union agency based in Stockholm, tasked with identifying, assessing and communicating health threats in Europe. Coordinates the European response to the MV Hondius episode.

Canonical source: https://hantatracker.fr/en/glossary/ecdc/

**Aliases**: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

The **ECDC** (*European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control*) is the European Union agency based in Stockholm, tasked with identifying, assessing and communicating current and emerging health threats in Europe. For the MV Hondius hantavirus episode, ECDC coordinates the European response and publishes reference technical advisories.

## Overview

### Mission

Created in **2005** in the wake of the 2003 SARS epidemic, ECDC has three main missions: (1) ongoing **epidemiological surveillance** of communicable diseases at the European level; (2) **scientific assessment** of threats and technical support to member states; (3) **coordination** of European responses to outbreaks, notably through the EWRS (Early Warning and Response System) platform.

### Geographical coverage

ECDC covers the **30 states** of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA): 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Candidate countries for EU accession (Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine) cooperate closely without being full members.

### Tools and publications

ECDC's main outputs relevant to acute outbreaks are:
- **Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR)**: weekly report on ongoing health threats in Europe.
- **Risk assessments**: in-depth evaluations for major events.
- **Factsheets**: technical fact sheets by pathogen, including one dedicated to orthohantaviruses.
- **Surveillance reports**: annual reports by disease.

## Articulation with WHO

WHO and ECDC are **complementary**:

| | WHO | ECDC |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Global | European (EU/EEA) |
| Reach | 194 member states | 30 EU + EEA states |
| Legal framework | International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) | EU Decision 1082/2013 |
| Notification | Disease Outbreak News (DON) | ECDC advisory + EWRS |

For the MV Hondius episode, WHO publishes a global notification (DON 2026), and ECDC publishes a specific advisory for Europe and coordinates the health authorities of the **9 EU/EEA states** concerned (Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Portugal).

## Role in the MV Hondius episode

### European coordination

As soon as Andes virus was identified on 3 May 2026, ECDC activated its risk assessment unit and cooperated with: the Dutch authorities (ship's flag), the Spanish authorities (port of arrival at Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife), and those of the other states whose passengers were repatriated. Coordination is carried out through the **EWRS** platform, which allows national health authorities to share information in real time.

### Public advisory

ECDC published a dedicated advisory *Andes hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship — May 2026*, publicly accessible, which summarises: the state of knowledge on Andes virus, the case count, recommendations for surveillance of passengers and contacts within the EU/EEA, and points of vigilance for healthcare workers. This advisory is one of the main sources referenced on HantaTracker.

### Extended surveillance

In accordance with the hantavirus protocol, ECDC coordinates with national authorities a surveillance of contacts for **42 days**, that is until the end of June 2026 for passengers disembarked on 10 May. Any significant developments (new case, secondary transmission, change in risk) will be published in the weekly CDTR.