Highlights

• Since Week 40, influenza and influenza-like illness activity has remained low in the region’s emergency departments, among SOS Médecins associations, within the Sentinelles network, and at the virology laboratory of the Nancy University Hospital. Both nationally and across Europe, influenza activity remains low this week.

• Since the update on December 10, two new clusters of acute respiratory infections have been reported in elderly care facilities in Lorraine, bringing the total number of reports since September 1, 2015, to nine.

• In Lorraine, the increase in bronchiolitis-related activity observed over the past five weeks by emergency department physicians continues, approaching the trend seen during the 2013–2014 season. In week 51, 180 cases of bronchiolitis were recorded, with a hospitalization rate of 29%. This activity accounts for 19% of all diagnoses in children under 2 years of age. Regarding the SOS Médecins association in Meurthe-et-Moselle, the number of bronchiolitis diagnoses is slightly down but remains steady in week 51, and this condition thus accounts for 8% of their activity among children under 2 years of age.

• According to the virology laboratory at Nancy University Hospital, the number of respiratory viruses remained stable in week 51. The virus identified was almost exclusively respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

• In Lorraine, activity related to gastroenteritis in the emergency departments of the OSCOUR® network and within the SOS Médecins association of Meurthe-et-Moselle has increased slightly compared to the previous week. With 137 diagnoses made in week 51, this activity accounted for 1.2% of all diagnoses in emergency departments. Doctors from the SOS Médecins association in Meurthe-et-Moselle made 86 diagnoses of gastroenteritis and diarrhea, accounting for nearly 7.6% of all diagnoses.

• Since the December 10 update, three new clusters of acute gastroenteritis cases in elderly care facilities have been reported in Lorraine, bringing the total number of reports since September 1, 2015, to eight.

• The number of positive test results for circulating enteric viruses remains stable, according to data from the Nancy University Hospital.

• During week 51, three episodes of carbon monoxide poisoning (suspected or confirmed) were reported in Lorraine.