Situation in the Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy regions

Surveillance of severe influenza cases (source: network of 24 intensive care, critical care, and continuous care units in Lower and Upper Normandy, for both adults and children)

Since week 2011-44, 12 severe cases of influenza have been reported to Cire Normandie (4 in Lower Normandy and 8 in Upper Normandy). Among these cases, there were 11 adults and 1 child. Three of the adults died, all reported in Upper Normandy. Virological analyses identified 1 case of influenza A(H1N1)2009 and 6 cases of influenza A(H3N2). The virus responsible for the other 5 cases is type A, but of unknown subtype (not tested).

Unified Network of Sentinel Physicians and Grog in Lower Normandy

The decline in the influenza incidence rate continued in weeks 16 and 17 and reached a level equivalent to that observed outside the epidemic season.

Virology data (source: Caen University Hospital laboratory)

The percentage of samples testing positive for influenza reached low levels in week 17 (3% of samples tested positive, corresponding to 2 of the 73 samples analyzed).

Activity in the emergency departments of Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy participating in the Oscour® network and the SOS Médecins associations in Caen, Cherbourg, and Rouen

In week 17, the proportion of diagnoses coded as "influenza" continued the decline that began in week 11, now accounting for 0.15% of emergency department activity. The decrease in the number and proportion of influenza diagnoses continued in week 17 for the SOS Médecins associations in both regions. Cases related to influenza accounted for 0.9% of SOS Médecins activity in Week 17, compared to 2.4% in Week 16.

Clustered cases of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in nursing homes

In total, 29 clusters of ARI in nursing homes have been reported to the Cire Normandie since February 12, 2012 (20 in Lower Normandy and 9 in Upper Normandy). No new outbreaks were reported in week 17. The etiology was investigated for 14 of the 29 outbreaks, and influenza was confirmed as the cause in 11 of them.

An overall review of regional indicators shows that the decline in seasonal influenza activity that began in week 2012-12 is continuing in both regions, gradually reaching the levels recorded before the winter epidemic, which means that the seasonal influenza epidemic is coming to an end.

This issue dedicated to influenza surveillance is the last of the winter season. However, monitoring of influenza indicators continues to be carried out by Cire Normandie in Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy.