Key Points

Mortality: The number of deaths, for all ages and those aged 75 and older, recorded during week 45 of 2016 is below the expected levels for this period.

Emergency department visits by vulnerable populations: activity is stable, close to expected levels for this period, for those aged 75 and older and those under 1 year of age.

Virology: Among the 64 samples testing positive for respiratory viruses from the laboratories at the Bordeaux and Poitiers university hospitals, the majority tested positive for rhinovirus (16 in Bordeaux and 17 in Poitiers). Two influenza A viruses (in Poitiers) and five respiratory syncytial viruses (in Poitiers) were also detected.

Gastroenteritis: activity remains stable, still above the epidemic threshold for SOS Médecins consultations (10.1% of total activity). Activity remains stable, below the alert threshold, for emergency room visits. The trend is the same at the national level.

Bronchiolitis: increased activity in the region. SOS Médecins consultations and emergency department visits for bronchiolitis in children under 2 years of age are increasing but remain below alert thresholds. Since early November, only 10 positive RSV samples have been detected (none in week 46 by the virology laboratory at Bordeaux University Hospital – 5 by the virology laboratory at Poitiers University Hospital). Activity in the AquiRespi network is stable compared to last week, with 68 cases treated during the on-call shifts on November 19 and 20. Nationally, all indicators are showing a clear increase. An epidemic has been declared in Île-de-France and PACA; five other regions (located in northern France) are in the pre-epidemic phase.

Influenza and influenza-like illnesses: a slight increase in influenza activity compared to the previous week, as observed nationally.

Chikungunya, Dengue, and Zika – Enhanced surveillance as of November 23, 2016: Since May 1, when enhanced surveillance began in the five departments of the former Aquitaine region colonized by Aedes albopictus, 194 suspected cases have been reported. Among these, 26 cases of dengue, 62 cases of Zika, and 1 dengue/Zika co-infection—all imported—have been confirmed. One case of Zika transmitted sexually has been confirmed. There are no cases of local vector-borne transmission.

Notifiable diseases (NDs): no unusual events in the region during week 46.