EURL for Hepatitis A virus and Hepatitis E virus

ongoing

Hepatitis A and E viruses (HAV and HEV) represent significant cross-border public health challenges in Europe. The EU population is largely susceptible to hepatitis A virus (HAV) and is at constant risk of HAV-introduction from high-endemic countries. Hospitalization rates during outbreaks in the EU can exceed 50%. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the most common cause of acute hepatitis in the EU, causing asymptomatic to mild liver infection in immunocompetent individuals. HAV is notifiable, and diagnostics and typing are well established, but there is room for improvement, particularly in HAV typing methods. In comparison, HEV remains underdiagnosed with limited standardized diagnostics and is still not notifiable in many member states. The lack of harmonized molecular surveillance and coordinated data sharing hinders timely outbreak detection and effective response measures across the EU. The proposed EURL will assist disease network laboratories in establishing advanced diagnostic techniques, PCR, Sanger sequencing, and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), and provide robust reference diagnostics including molecular typing. Comprehensive surveys will assess current practices among disease network laboratories to identify gaps and inform the harmonization of protocols. Additionally, the development of customised External Quality Assessment (EQA) schemes, online tools and bioinformatics pipelines will support effective outbreak investigations and data sharing. The proposed EURL will serve as a central hub for providing reference diagnostics, technical support, and standardized protocols to disease network laboratories. It will coordinate the development and implementation of EQA schemes and facilitate the collection and analysis of high-quality WGS data, thereby strengthening the overall European laboratory surveillance framework for HAV and HEV.