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Workshop 1. Hospital Outbreaks and HAI Surveillance

Date and time: Tuesday, 10 November, 09:00-12:00

Effective surveillance of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is essential for early detection, control, and prevention of outbreaks within healthcare settings. Robust HAI systems integrate real-time data collection, laboratory confirmation, standardized case definitions, and rapid response protocols to minimize transmission risk and protect vulnerable patients. Strengthening surveillance capacity also supports antimicrobial stewardship, improves patient outcomes, and enhances hospital preparedness for emerging pathogens. This workshop envisages an interactive session with presentations, group work and case studies related to the topic.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the principles and components of HAI surveillance systems.
  • Identify early warning signs and indicators of hospital outbreaks.
  • Describe methods for investigating and responding to HAIs.
  • Evaluate strategies to strengthen infection prevention and control practices in healthcare facilities.

 

Workshop 2. Wastewater Environmental Surveillance for Control of Infectious Diseases

Date and time: Tuesday, 10 November, 09:00-12:00

Wastewater surveillance has emerged as a powerful population-level monitoring tool that detects viral, bacterial, and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens shed into the environment, often before clinical cases rise. By capturing community-wide signals—including from asymptomatic individuals—this method supports early outbreak detection, trend tracking, and targeted public-health interventions. Wastewater monitoring complements traditional surveillance and enhances preparedness for pandemics, enteric diseases, and emerging threats. This workshop envisages an interactive session with presentations, group work and case studies related to the topic.

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain the scientific basis and public-health value of wastewater surveillance.
  • Describe sampling, testing, and data-analysis techniques used in environmental monitoring.
  • Interpret wastewater findings to support outbreak prediction and response.
  • Assess challenges and opportunities for integrating wastewater data into routine surveillance systems.

 

Workshop 3. Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in Infectious Diseases

Date and time: Tuesday, 10 November, 13:00-17:00

Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics are transforming infectious-disease surveillance, prediction, diagnosis, and response by enabling rapid analysis of large, complex datasets. AI tools can detect outbreak signals earlier, improve clinical diagnostic accuracy, optimize resource allocation, and support decision-making in real time. As digital data sources expand—from electronic health records to genomics and mobility data—ethical, transparent, and equitable use of AI becomes essential to maximize public-health benefit. This workshop envisages an interactive session with presentations, group work and case studies related to the topic.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe how AI and big data are applied in infectious-disease detection and response.
  • Identify data sources and analytical techniques used in AI-driven public-health systems.
  • Evaluate the strengths and limitations of AI tools in outbreak prediction and clinical care.
  • Discuss ethical, equity, and governance considerations in the use of AI for public health.

 

Workshop 4. Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever in Spain: How to Manage Suspected and Confirmed Cases in the Spanish HCID Network

Date and time: Tuesday, 10 November, 13:00-17:00

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral zoonosis caused by the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), a member of the Nairoviridae family. Transmitted primarily through bites of infected Hyalomma ticks and by direct contact with infected blood or body fluids, CCHF can range from mild or asymptomatic infection to severe haemorrhagic disease with high mortality. Supportive management remains the cornerstone of clinical care, and while specific antiviral therapies (e.g., ribavirin) and vaccines are under investigation, none are universally accepted or widely available. Because human-to-human transmission — particularly in healthcare settings — has been documented, rapid identification, isolation, and appropriate infection control measures are critical elements of clinical response. 
In Spain, CCHFV has transitioned from a rare imported pathogen to an emerging endemic threat, with the first autochthonous human cases identified in 2016 and subsequent sporadic cases reported across multiple provinces in recent years. Serological studies and epidemiological surveillance have confirmed active circulation of CCHFV in ticks and animal hosts in western Spain, with human seroprevalence and wildlife serosurveys indicating ongoing exposure in endemic zones. These findings, together with climate-driven expansion of tick vectors and evolving patterns of human–vector interaction, underscore the importance of coordinated clinical management and networked high-consequence infectious disease (HCID) responses. Strengthening preparedness within the Spanish HCID framework not only improves outcomes for suspected and confirmed CCHF cases but also reinforces broader viral haemorrhagic fever readiness.

Learning objectives

  • Summarise the current epidemiology of CCHF in Spain, including geographic distribution, seroprevalence patterns and recent human cases, and discuss key transmission dynamics related to vectors, hosts and environmental drivers.
  • Recognise the clinical presentation and spectrum of CCHF, including early non-specific symptoms, haemorrhagic progression and critical differential diagnoses in endemic and non-endemic settings.
  • Apply best practices for early identification, triage and isolation of suspected CCHF cases to minimise nosocomial transmission within healthcare facilities.
  • Describe the diagnostic workflow for suspected CCHF, covering optimal timing and performance of RT-PCR and serology (IgM/IgG), and the role of national reference laboratories in confirmatory testing.
  • Discuss the utility and limitations of emerging diagnostic technologies, including multiplex syndromic panels (e.g., FilmArray), in the early differential diagnosis of viral haemorrhagic fevers.
  • Identify biosafety and biosecurity requirements for safe sample collection, handling and transport, ensuring appropriate coordination with HCID centres and laboratory networks.
  •  Outline evidence-based supportive management strategies and describe the role of adjunctive or investigational therapies in CCHF care.
  • Explain essential infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and the operational role of the Spanish HCID network in responding to suspected and confirmed cases, while considering ongoing surveillance challenges and future research priorities.