This Week in Virology TWiV 1255: Virologists in Greece
Sep 21, 2025
Pamela Vallely, President of the European Society for Clinical Virology, and Piotr Kramarz, Chief Scientist at the ECDC, share insights from Thessaloniki. They discuss the crucial role of ESCV in advancing clinical virology and the ECDC's surveillance efforts against communicable diseases. Topics include cross-border pathogen coordination, epidemic intelligence, and the importance of public outreach to combat misinformation and vaccine hesitancy. They also reflect on their personal hobbies, adding a fun twist to the serious discussions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ECDC Balances Acute And Chronic Viral Work
- ECDC works on both acute outbreaks and chronic viral problems like HIV and hepatitis B/C with targeted toolkits and screening guidance.
- Many chronically infected people remain unaware of their status, so screening and linkage-to-care are priorities.
Vaccine Distrust And AMR Are Top Problems
- Two major chronic public-health threats are antimicrobial resistance and declining vaccine confidence undermining high-coverage programs.
- Decreasing trust in science directly increases risk for preventable viral diseases across Europe.
Pathogens Cross Borders; Coordination Matters
- Pathogens cross borders as freely as people and goods, so EU coordination and shared best practice are essential.
- ECDC's convening power helps nations learn from each other and align responses.