ECDC’s latest weekly Communicable Disease Threats Report finds SARS-CoV-2 circulation remains low across all age groups in the EU/EEA, with few hospitalisations, while RSV activity and hospitalisations remain elevated—driven largely by children under age 5.

Why It Matters To Your Practice

• Expect most “respiratory” visits to be non-COVID in many settings right now, with primary care consultations for respiratory illness at baseline levels in most reporting countries.

• RSV remains the key inpatient driver in pediatrics: under-5s continue to account for most hospital admissions.

• Influenza circulation and hospitalisations are low and declining across age groups; A(H1)pdm09 and A(H3) are co-dominant.

Clinical Benefits

• Use local trend context to streamline differential diagnosis and testing choices for acute respiratory symptoms, especially in young children.

• Reinforce targeted caregiver counseling (hydration, work of breathing, return precautions) during ongoing RSV activity.

• In travel and exposure histories, keep “rare but relevant” threats on the radar: a human avian influenza A(H7N7) case was reported in Taiwan (first reported since 2013).

Managing Risks

• Don’t let low SARS-CoV-2 circulation eliminate COVID consideration in high-risk patients—test based on symptoms, exposure, and facility policy.

• For under-5s with suspected RSV, watch for escalation triggers (increasing work of breathing, apnea, dehydration, hypoxemia) and have clear ED referral thresholds.

• Consider dengue in patients returning from New Caledonia with compatible symptoms; ECDC notes the likelihood of infection for travellers is moderate, though mainland Europe transmission likelihood remains very low.

The Bottom Line

• EU/EEA respiratory surveillance this week: COVID admissions are low, flu is low/declining, and RSV remains elevated—especially impacting children under 5.