Epidemiological Situation

The bronchiolitis outbreak that began in early December peaked in week 52 (December 21–27, 2015). Since then, a decline in the outbreak has been observed. In total, from December 7, 2015, to January 10, 2016, bronchiolitis accounted for 490 emergency room visits, representing nearly one-third of emergency room visits among children under 2 years of age and more than half of hospitalizations in this age group.Data from the island’s hospital laboratories confirmed this trend and showed that RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), the primary virus responsible for bronchiolitis, circulated on the island in November and very markedly in December. This seasonal outbreak reached an epidemic peak of unprecedented intensity. The epidemic is expected to end in the coming weeks, and the situation will continue to be closely monitored.