THE ESSENTIAL
- Flu cases continue to rise in cities and hospitals in all age groups during the 50th week of the year.
- Syndromic indicators linked to bronchiolitis are still on the rise. however, the progression is less strong than in previous weeks.
- The activity of gastroenteritis is lower than that observed at this time in previous years.
Flu and bronchiolitis will be among the Christmas guests. During its weekly report published on December 18, Public Health France notes that the two winter diseases continue to gain strength in France. On the other hand, gastroenteritis, another seasonal infection, remains little present in the country.
Flu and bronchiolitis: cases still on the rise in France
With the passage of eight regions into a flu epidemic, the whole of mainland France is in the red, except Corsica which has been classified in the “pre-epidemic” phase. Overseas, the virus is circulating less, only Martinique was in the pre-epidemic.
Public Health France specifies that the majority of flu indicators continued to increase in towns and hospitals during the week of December 9 to 15. The rate of consultations for all ages for influenza-like illness increased from 180 per 100,000 inhabitants to 237 per 100,000 inhabitants in 7 days. 5,871 people were treated by the emergency department for influenza-like illness, or 1.7% of visits (vs. 1.0% in W49). 763 patients were subsequently hospitalized, or 1.1% of all hospitalizations. The report states that “this increase concerned all age groups” and that co-circulation of viruses A (H1N1) and B was observed.
If the bronchiolitis epidemic is still alive with indicators still rising in town and in hospitals, the progression is revealed “less marked than previous weeks”. Thus, among the 7,035 SOS Médecins medical procedures carried out for children under 2 years old, 618 (8.8%) were linked to bronchiolitis. Infection was involved in 15.7% of emergency room visits and 31.5% of hospitalizations for this age group.
“In France, all regions were in an epidemic, except Corsica which was still at basic level. In the overseas departments and regions, Reunion had moved to pre-epidemic in S50. Mayotte is in an epidemic since S49 (data not available this week), Guadeloupe and Martinique since S43 and Guyana since the end of July”adds the report.
Gastroenteritis: indicators close to historical minimums
The winter period is also a favorite season for gastroenteritis. However, it remains little present at the end of 2024. “The incidence rate of acute diarrhea observed in general practice is at a low level of activity, lower than those observed at this period in previous years”explains Public Health France in its report published on December 19.
The incidence rate of cases of acute diarrhea seen in general medicine consultations was 72 cases per 100,000 inhabitants between December 9 and 15. A stable figure compared to the previous week. Moreover, stability is the watchword for all epidemic indicators. As in the previous week, the proportion of consultations for acute gastroenteritis rose to 5.9% and 5.3% for those under 5 years old, while that of visits to the emergency room remained at 1.2%.
All of these indicators are equivalent “to the previous season and close to historic minimums”, conclude the authors of the report.
Covid-19 also shows activity “generally stable at low levels”. However, specialists note that the positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 was in “slight increase in the hospital and among the samples taken by doctors in town”. They also warn: “monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater suggests a significant increase in the circulation of the virus within the population during week 50”.
