Over the past week in the region:

• The flu season is still off to a slow start in the region, with a significant increase in consultations for flu-like symptoms (SOS Médecins and the Unified Grog/Sentinelles Network) as well as detections of influenza A virus.

• A more pronounced increase in severe flu cases is observed, with 3 new cases reported by intensive care units in week 5, bringing the total to 6 cases since mid-December in the region. The majority of strains identified in severe cases nationwide are of the A(H1N1)p subtype.

• The season is characterized by a low number of reports of clusters of acute respiratory infections in nursing homes in the region.

• The number of gastroenteritis cases seen by SOS Médecins remains moderate, as do outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis in nursing homes.

• A persistently high number of bronchiolitis cases for this season in the emergency department of Nantes University Hospital and during consultations with SOS Médecins, as well as isolates of RSV.