Key points

Bronchiolitis

In the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region: second week of the outbreak, rising indicators. The bronchiolitis outbreak, which began early in week 41 (October 11–17, 2021), is spreading in the region, with active circulation of RSV and a marked increase in hospital indicators. Nearly 32% of hospitalizations among children under 2 years of age are for bronchiolitis. In week 42 of 2021 (October 18–24, 2021), indicators continued to rise in the region, with:

• 71 SOS Médecins* consultations recorded, representing 6.7% of activity involving children under 2 years of age (compared to 6.2% in week 41);

• 177 emergency department visits recorded, representing 11.2% of activity among children under 2 years of age (compared to 8.1% in week 41), of which 88 were followed by hospitalization, representing 49.7% of bronchiolitis cases;

• A sharp increase in hospitalizations for bronchiolitis among children under 2 years of age (32% in week 42 compared to 23% in week 41), with 89% of hospitalizations for bronchiolitis involving children under 1 year of age;

• Active circulation of RSV in the region, with a marked increase in positive RSV test results observed at the virology laboratory of Bordeaux University Hospital.

The rise in hospital indicators for bronchiolitis is observed across all departments in the region and remains particularly pronounced in Gironde, where 14% of emergency department visits among children under 2 years of age were recorded for bronchiolitis and 40% of hospitalizations among children under 2 years of age were due to bronchiolitis.

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