The objective of this study was to measure the association between deprivation and incidence of 21 infectious diseases in the North East of England (2007–2011). We used count regression models with the Index of Multiple Deprivation and population/landscape data for small areas (~1500 persons). Deprivation significantly predicted incidence (P < 0·05) for 17 infectious diseases. The direction of association was broadly consistent within groups: increased incidence with increased deprivation for all three bloodborne viruses, 2/3 invasive bacterial diseases, 4/5 sexually transmitted infections (STI) and tuberculosis (TB); decreased incidence with increased deprivation for 5/6 infectious intestinal diseases (IID) and 2/3 vaccine-preventable diseases. Associations were removed for all but one IID (E. coli O157 infection) after accounting for recent foreign travel. Hepatitis C virus, TB and STI are priority infections for reduction of inequalities associated with deprivation in the North East of England.

The steep increase in human West Nile virus (WNV) infections in 2011–2012 in north-eastern Italy prompted a refinement of the surveillance plan. Data from the 2010–2012 surveillance activities on mosquitoes, equines, and humans were analysed through Bernoulli space–time scan statistics, to detect the presence of recurrent WNV infection hotspots. Linear models were fit to detect the possible relationships between WNV occurrence in humans and its activity in mosquitoes. Clusters were detected for all of the hosts, defining a limited area on which to focus surveillance and promptly identify WNV reactivation. Positive relationships were identified between WNV in humans and in mosquitoes; although it was not possible to define precise spatial and temporal scales at which entomological surveillance could predict the increasing risk of human infections. This stresses the necessity to improve entomological surveillance by increasing both the density of trapping sites and the frequency of captures.

The emergence of invasive fungal wound infections (IFIs) in combat casualties led to development of a combat trauma-specific IFI case definition and classification. Prospective data were collected from 1133 US military personnel injured in Afghanistan (June 2009–August 2011). The IFI rates ranged from 0·2% to 11·7% among ward and intensive care unit admissions, respectively (6·8% overall). Seventy-seven IFI cases were classified as proven/probable (n = 54) and possible/unclassifiable (n = 23) and compared in a case-case analysis. There was no difference in clinical characteristics between the proven/probable and possible/unclassifiable cases. Possible IFI cases had shorter time to diagnosis (P = 0·02) and initiation of antifungal therapy (P = 0·05) and fewer operative visits (P = 0·002) compared to proven/probable cases, but clinical outcomes were similar between the groups. Although the trauma-related IFI classification scheme did not provide prognostic information, it is an effective tool for clinical and epidemiological surveillance and research.