Key points

Bronchiolitis: Transition to the Pre-Epidemic Phase

The 2020–21 season was marked by an atypical bronchiolitis epidemic that occurred in the spring of 2021, with activity levels remaining moderate until early summer.

Since late September, bronchiolitis surveillance indicators have been rising again in the region, and earlier than in previous seasons, justifying the transition to the pre-epidemic phase.

In week 40 of 2021 (October 4–10, 2021), an increase in indicators was observed, with:

• 51 SOS Médecins* consultations recorded, representing 5.7% of activity involving children under 2 years of age (compared to 4.6% in week 39);

• 107 emergency room visits recorded, representing 7.8% of activity among children under 2 years of age (compared to 6.7% in week 39), of which 47 were followed by hospitalization, representing 44% of bronchiolitis cases;

• Nearly 20% of hospitalizations among children under 2 years of age were due to bronchiolitis (an increase since early September);

• An increase in the number of positive RSV test results among samples tested by the virology laboratories of the region’s university hospitals, accompanied by a rise in positive rhinovirus test results.

* Data should be interpreted with caution due to a strike that has impacted the operations of SOS Médecins since week 39 of 2021.