Key Points

Mortality: The number of deaths (all ages and those aged 75 and older) recorded during week 48 of 2016 remains below expected levels for this period.

Emergency department visits by vulnerable populations: activity is stable among children under 1 year of age, but remains close to the alert threshold. Among those aged 75 and older, activity remains close to expected levels for this period.

Virology: Among the 120 samples testing positive for respiratory viruses from the laboratories at the Bordeaux and Poitiers university hospitals, the majority tested positive for rhinovirus/enterovirus (21 in Bordeaux and 21 in Poitiers). Six influenza A viruses (1 in Bordeaux and 5 in Poitiers) and 26 respiratory syncytial viruses (8 in Bordeaux and 18 in Poitiers) were also detected.

Gastroenteritis: activity remains stable, still above the epidemic threshold according to SOS Médecins data. Activity is on the rise, though remains below the alert threshold, for emergency department visits. Nationally, there is epidemic activity in primary care; activity in emergency departments and at SOS Médecins remains stable but with higher figures than in previous years.

Bronchiolitis: start of the epidemic with an increase in all indicators (11.3% of emergency room visits and 7.8% of SOS Médecins consultations among children under 2 years of age). RSV circulation continues, with 8 and 18 RSV cases detected in week 49 by the virology laboratories at the Bordeaux and Poitiers University Hospitals, respectively. Activity in the AquiRespi network is increasing, with 175 cases treated during the on-call shifts on December 10 and 11. Nationally, an epidemic is underway throughout mainland France, with the exception of Corsica.

Influenza and influenza-like illnesses: pre-epidemic situation for the NA region with increasing influenza activity, particularly in hospital emergency departments, where activity is above the threshold. Nationally, influenza activity is on the rise, with a majority of influenza A(H3N2) viruses detected, and the epidemic has begun in Brittany and the Île-de-France region.

Reportable Diseases (MDO): No unusual events in the region during week 49.