Over the past week in the region:

The flu outbreak has remained the major event for more than 10 weeks. All surveillance systems show signs of a decline. The three influenza viruses (H1N1, H3N2, and B) are still circulating. This co-circulation likely explains the unusual duration of this epidemic and the varying impacts by age group, with virus B predominant among children, A(H1N1)p among adults, and A(H3N2) among the elderly. Since late November 2012, 48 cases of severe influenza (including 6 deaths) have been hospitalized in intensive care units in the region. This number of cases is 2.5 times higher than during the previous epidemic in 2011–12. The age distribution of these severe cases shows a peak in incidence among people aged 50 to 59, as observed during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, which were characterized by the circulation of the pandemic A(H1N1) virus.The epidemic among the elderly appears to be occurring later, with an increase in outbreaks of acute respiratory infections in nursing homes since the end of January.