Over the past week in the region:

After 8 weeks of the flu epidemic, this marks the first week of a decline in the number of flu-like illnesses (visits to SOS Médecins and emergency room visits). In total, 122 cases of severe flu have been hospitalized in the region since early October, 62% of whom were aged 65 and older.Among people aged 75 and older, there was a significant increase in emergency room visits last week in most major hospitals (primarily Angers, St-Nazaire, and La Roche-sur-Yon). This increase was accompanied by a resurgence in visits for acute lower respiratory tract infections. In addition to the influenza virus, RSV circulation remains active, with isolates detected in infants and adults by the virology laboratories of the two university hospitals. In the region’s nursing homes, the number of new outbreaks of acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) has plateaued over the past three weeks, bringing the total number of outbreaks since early September to 202. The proportion of nursing homes that have experienced an ARI outbreak remains higher in Loire-Atlantique and Maine-et-Loire and lower in Mayenne. Mortality in the region during week 04 continues to show a significant excess across all age groups and among those aged 65 and older, though it has decreased compared to week 1.