Headlines

According to the GROG and Sentinelles networks, the flu is on the verge of becoming epidemic throughout mainland France.The current flu epidemic is characterized by a predominant A(H3N2) strain that particularly affects the elderly, with an increased risk of mortality. This strain has circulated little in recent years, and vaccine protection against it is not absolute.In outpatient care, the incidence rate of consultations for influenza-like illness, based on data from the Unified Influenza Network (combined data from the GROG, Sentinelles, and SCHS Toulouse networks), is 486 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, a significant increase compared to the previous week. The number of emergency department visits for influenza-like illness continues to rise sharply. The number of hospitalizations for influenza among those aged 65 and older is increasing. Since the start of surveillance, 50 severe cases have been reported, primarily among adults with risk factors. The InVS has observed a significant increase in the number of clusters of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in elderly care facilities, with 65 new reports in week 7 (February 13–19). This is why it is important to identify the first cases in care facilities as quickly as possible and to immediately implement standard control measures to contain the emerging ARI outbreak. Guidelines for managing lower respiratory tract infections in elderly care facilities are available at: http://www.sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/circ_489.pdf

In Poitou-Charentes:

In week 7, the number of diagnosed cases of influenza and influenza-like illnesses increased for SOS-Médecins 17 and in hospital emergency departments, primarily affecting children under 15 in emergency departments. In community practice, the incidence rate of clinical influenza has risen sharply and is now higher than that of the same period last season.To date, two severe cases of influenza have been reported to the Cire by intensive care units in Poitou-Charentes since the start of surveillance in week 44 of 2011, and seven clusters of acute respiratory infections in facilities caring for the elderly have been reported to the CVAGS since early January.