Highlights

• Activity related to influenza and influenza-like illnesses remains low in week 48, both in the region’s emergency departments and among SOS Médecins associations. These conditions account for 0.1% of emergency department activity and 0.9% of pre-hospital outpatient care. Over the past few weeks, no samples tested positive for influenza at the virology laboratory of the Strasbourg University Hospitals (HUS).

• No severe cases of influenza were reported in week 48 by intensive care units in Alsace.

• In week 48, the number of bronchiolitis diagnoses in children under two years of age continued to rise in emergency departments and among SOS Médecins associations, with 37 and 20 diagnoses, respectively. This condition thus accounts for 9% of emergency department activity for this age group and 7% of activity at SOS Médecins clinics. It therefore appears that a bronchiolitis outbreak has begun in Alsace. This increase in the number of bronchiolitis cases is being observed throughout mainland France.

• According to the HUS virology laboratory, the number of respiratory viruses detected remains low and primarily involves rhinoviruses, enteroviruses, and metapneumoviruses.

• A sustained level of weekly diagnoses of gastroenteritis and diarrhea was observed in week 47 in the region’s emergency departments, with 87 diagnoses, representing 2% of total activity. For the SOS Médecins associations, the number of diagnoses for these conditions is increasing but remains comparable to the figures observed during the same period in the two previous years. These conditions thus account for nearly 12% of the activity of the Alsatian SOS Médecins associations.

• Regarding enteric viruses, in week 47, two samples positive for norovirus and one sample positive for rotavirus were identified by the HUS virology laboratory.

• During weeks 47 and 48, one episode of carbon monoxide poisoning (suspected or confirmed) was reported in Alsace (InVS data). This incident, which occurred in the Bas-Rhin department, affected 15 people, one of whom was treated in the emergency room. No deaths occurred. Since the start of the heating season in Alsace (October 1, 2015), there have been 9 incidents involving 49 people, with no deaths.

• According to available data, no unusual increase in mortality has been observed in Alsace over the past few weeks. Since the time lag for reporting death data exceeds 7 days, data for week 48 are currently being consolidated.