Highlights

• Activity related to influenza and influenza-like illnesses remains low in week 47, both in the region’s emergency departments and among SOS Médecins associations. These conditions account for less than 0.1% of emergency department activity and 0.5% of pre-hospital outpatient care. Over the past few weeks, no samples have tested positive for influenza at the virology laboratory of the Strasbourg University Hospitals (HUS).

• No severe cases of influenza were reported in week 47 by intensive care units in Alsace.

• In week 47, the number of bronchiolitis diagnoses among children under two years of age is increasing in emergency departments and among SOS Médecins, with 31 and 18 diagnoses, respectively. This condition thus accounts for 7% of emergency department activity in this age group and 6% of SOS Médecins activity. It therefore appears that the bronchiolitis epidemic is beginning in Alsace, but this will need to be confirmed next week. The increase in the number of bronchiolitis cases is occurring throughout mainland France, but it is particularly pronounced in the Île-de-France region, the North, the West, and the Southwest. In mainland France, activity is more intense in week 47 compared to the same week in the two previous seasons

• According to the HUS virology laboratory, the respiratory viruses most frequently detected remain rhinoviruses and enteroviruses, but RSV is beginning to circulate.

• A marked increase in the number of weekly diagnoses of gastroenteritis and diarrhea was observed in week 47 in the region’s emergency departments, with 102 diagnoses, representing 2.3% of total activity. According to the SOS Médecins associations, the number of diagnoses for these conditions has decreased slightly over the past two weeks, but gastroenteritis remains the most frequently diagnosed condition in week 47. These conditions thus account for nearly 11% of the activity of Alsatian associations.

• Regarding enteric viruses, in week 47, only two samples positive for Norovirus were identified by the HUS virology laboratory.

• 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 47 are currently being consolidated.