Over the past week in the region:

• At the regional level, after 11 weeks of progression, the flu epidemic is nearing its end. SOS Médecins reports that 5% of visits are for flu-like symptoms, slightly above the epidemic threshold. Type B viruses now account for 56% of influenza virus isolates from virology laboratories. The number of severe cases hospitalized in intensive care (129 cases) has been declining sharply over the past two weeks; three-quarters of severe cases are over 50 years old.

• 204 clusters of acute respiratory infections (ARI) and 84 clusters of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) have been reported since September 1, 2014. The number of new ARI clusters is decreasing significantly, with only 9 new epidemic clusters reported since the last update. The peak was reached during the first week of February (44 outbreaks in one week). The geographic distribution of outbreaks ranges from 27% of nursing homes in Mayenne to 36% in Vendée. There is currently no longer a geographic predominance of new outbreaks.

• Emergency room visits by people aged 75 and older have fallen back below alert thresholds. Excess mortality among people over 85 is decreasing.

• This marks the third consecutive week of rising gastroenteritis cases. This increase is particularly pronounced among children under 5 years of age (based on visits to the pediatric emergency departments at Nantes University Hospital and SOS Médecins in Nantes and Saint-Nazaire), suggesting an outbreak of rotavirus infections.