THE ESSENTIAL
- Bronchiolitis, mainly due to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus, is a very contagious disease that affects infants and young children under the age of two, especially during the winter season.
- To protect little ones, the ARS Île-de-France – a region currently in an epidemic phase – reminds us of the barrier gestures to be put in place on a daily basis.
- Preventive treatments also help protect infants, such as Beyfortus® (medication containing antibodies injected into the baby) and Abrysvo® (vaccine injected into the mother in the 8th month of pregnancy).
Among the winter viruses most feared by parents, we find the respiratory syncytial virus, responsible for bronchiolitis. “At the start of the 2024-2025 winter period, RSV infections are making a comeback with the first signals indicating an increase in cases of bronchiolitis in children under 2 years old.”, indicates the Île-de-France Regional Health Agency in a press release. If the majority of French regions still remain at their base level for the season, Santé Publique France placed three regions in the epidemic phase during its last epidemiological bulletin published on October 30, 2024: Île-de-France, Guadeloupe and Martinique. Guyana had already been there since week 31.
Preventing RSV infection using barrier gestures
To protect infants against RSV infections, the ARS Île-de-France reminds us of the simple actions to limit the circulation of these viruses in public spaces and the exposure of young children:
- Limit infant visits to very close, non-ill adults.
- Wash your hands before and after contact with the baby.
- Wash toys and comforters regularly.
- Wear a mask yourself if you have a cold, cough or fever.
- If the rest of the siblings show symptoms of viral infection, keep them away from the baby during the acute phase of the infection.
- Avoid family gatherings, busy and enclosed places such as supermarkets, restaurants or public transport as much as possible.
- Ventilate the child’s living space daily.
- Do not place your child in a community setting on days when he or she shows symptoms of viral infection.
- Plan his first vaccinations without delay so that he is protected as quickly as possible from severe infections in early childhood.
- Be up to date with your whooping cough vaccinations and get vaccinated against the flu (ideally during pregnancy during the epidemic season).
Bronchiolitis: preventive treatments for infants
Two preventive treatments help protect toddlers from RSV infection: Beyfortus® (nirsevimab) which is a medicine containing the antibody against the bronchiolitis virus (RSV), and Synagis® (palivizumab) which is indicated in certain premature children and high-risk infants (those with a heart or lung malformation, depending on the opinion of the specialists who follow them).
A vaccine can also be injected into pregnant women in the 8th month of pregnancy (between 32 weeks and 36 weeks) to protect the unborn baby; it’s Abrysvo®. This allows the mother to produce antibodies against RSV which will then be transmitted to the child via the placenta.
Last year, 5,800 hospitalizations for RSV bronchiolitis were avoided thanks to the administration of nirsevimab in France, including 4,200 in children aged 0 to 2 months, according to a report from Public Health France. “This corresponds to a 23% reduction in the total number of hospitalizations for RSV bronchiolitis after going to the emergency room in 0-2 month olds compared to the scenario without administration.”
Health
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