Multiplication of white plans due to an exceptionally high level of hospitalizations for influenza in France; HMPV in China: should we be worried? 1is bird flu deaths in the United States; Situation update in Mayotte; New recommendations… A selection of local and international health news covered by our editorial teams.
SPECIAL VIRUS
Outbreak of white plans due to flu
France is facing an exceptionally high level of hospitalizations for influenza. According to ARS Occitanie, for example, 1,003 visits to emergency rooms for flu were recorded during the first week of January – compared to around 800 last year and 600 in 2023 – which gave rise to 228 hospitalizations. Across France, 87 establishments had to trigger the white plan, according to the Ministry of Health this Friday. This system allows management to take temporary measures, such as rescheduling operations and recalling staff from leave. Among the hospitals concerned, those of Rennes, Nantes, La Rochelle, Metz, Toulouse, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille…
First case of clade Ib mpox identified in France
The Ministry of Health and Public health France reported a first human case of clade 1b mpox on the national territory, in Brittany more precisely. Asked by Medscape French edition on a risk of epidemic, the infectious disease specialist Gilles Pialoux be cautious and encourage vigilance. The authorities inform, for their part, that the recommended management measures, in particular via the vaccination of a target audience, have been put in place.
HMPV in China : should you be worried ?
Five years after Covid-19, top Chinese health officials reported a recent increase in cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in northern China, particularly among those under 14 years old.
However, they denied claims that Chinese hospitals were overwhelmed by the virus. Neither the Chinese authorities nor the UN have declared a state of emergency, contrary to what some accounts on social networks claim. Cases of contamination have also been reported in India. (Read on Medscape.fr).
Avian flu: 1is human death in the United States
Via a press release, the Louisiana Department of Health reported the death of the first patient in the United States with a confirmed case of avian flu. The person was over 65 years old and had underlying pathologies. It remains the only known human case in the state. Advice from the CDC and an infectious disease specialist can be read on Medscape.com and Medscape.fr.
Why is Beyfortus only refunded up to 30 % ?
Despite real-life studies which prove the effectiveness of Beyfortus against bronchiolitis, this drug is only reimbursed up to 30%, protests the Terra Nova think tank. (To read on Medcsape.fr).
Poliovirus detected in wastewater across Europe
In September 2024, a poliovirus was detected during a routine analysis of wastewater from a treatment plant located on the Besòs River in Barcelona. This is not an isolated event, as in the last three months the virus has also been identified in nine other cities in four European countries: Warsaw (Poland), Bonn, Cologne, Munich and Hamburg (Germany). , Tampere (Finland), Leeds, London and West Sussex (United Kingdom). According to the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the strain detected was vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
This discovery aroused the concern of the European Union, which considers that this pathogen has been eradicated since 2002. These results indicate that one or more people in the affected areas were carriers of the virus. This represents a risk in particular for unvaccinated children or those who have an incomplete vaccination schedule. (To read on Univadis Spain).
MAYOTTE
In Mayotte, a gradual restoration of healthcare provision
Fifteen days after the passage of tropical cyclone Chido in Mayotte, the Mahorais healthcare system is improving day by day to meet the needs of the populations. Situation update.
PHARMACOVIGILANCE
Doxycycline: no established link with the risk of suicidality
Currently available data are not sufficient to establish a link between the use of the antibiotic doxycycline and the risk of suicidality, the European Medicines Agency said. A security signal led to the opening of an investigation in 2023.
FEATURED SEARCHES
Alcohol dependence: GLP-1 agonists and fecal transplantation trial
Therapies already used to treat bowel diseases, type 2 diabetes and obesity appear to help people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). (Read on Medscape.com and Medscape.fr).
Risk of optic neuropathy: semaglutide in the viewfinder
Recent work has raised concerns about an association between semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. (Read on JIM.fr and Medscape.fr).
CONGRESS SPECIAL
Urinary pathology linked to ketamine misuse: what treatment?
The diversion of ketamine for recreational purposes is clearly increasing. Among the complications of chronic consumption are significant urinary disorders, which require appropriate treatment, underlined Dr François Meyer (Saint-Louis Hospital, AP-HP Paris) during his presentation during the 118e congress of the French Association of Urology (AFU). (Read on Medscape.fr).
RECOVERY SIDE
Nutrition and hypertension: development of the SFHTA
The recent update from the French Society of Arterial Hypertension (SFHTA) on nutrition and high blood pressure is a very practical, summary document. Presentation by Professor Emmanuelle Vidal-Petiot.
HAS updates its recommendations on the treatment of genital herpes
The Haute Autorité de Santé has published recommendations for good practice concerning the treatment of genital herpes in adults, children and adolescents aged twelve and over. (Read on Medscape.fr and Univadis.fr).
ETHICS
Illegal therapy in the treatment of cancer: the ANSM reacts!
The ANSM has taken health policy decisions against the companies Immucura, Immunyo and Iaso Health GmbH which promote, on their websites and social networks, an anti-cancer treatment of “dendritic cell immunotherapy”. allowed.
UNUSUAL
How does science explain the feeling of having “butterflies in your stomach”?
“Having butterflies in your stomach” is not just an expression: our stomach and our emotions really work together. An observation measured directly by Italian researchers. Thanks to SmartPills, namely ingestible capsules usually used in gastroenterology, data has been obtained which shows that stomach acidity varies considerably depending on the emotional state of the person. Emotional experience and the gastric environment are therefore directly correlated. (To read on Univadis Italy and Medscape French edition).
