The annual bronchiolitis epidemic, which particularly affects babies, started in mainland France, where Île-de-France is the first region affected, but also in Guadeloupe and Martinique, Public Health France reported this Wednesday, October 30. .
497 babies hospitalized
The week ending October 27 was marked by “passage of Ile-de-France, Guadeloupe and Martinique in epidemic and Brittany in pre-epidemic” of bronchiolitis, summarized the health agency in a weekly report on acute respiratory infections.
Another signal: “syndromic indicators linked to bronchiolitis were increasing in community medicine as well as in hospitals”more “remaining at levels lower than those observed in the three years prior to the same period”she noted.
Among the 1,552 children under two years old seen in the emergency room for bronchiolitis from October 21 to 27, 497 were hospitalized, almost all of them babies under one year old. Overseas, the epidemic has spread, knowing that Guyana has been affected by bronchiolitis since the end of July.
Preventative treatments deployed this season
Every year, during the fall and winter, bronchiolitis strikes many French babies, most often following an infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which can also threaten the elderly.
This season is marked by the deployment of two preventive treatments, Beyfortus from AstraZeneca and Sanofi – an antibody given directly to babies – and Abrysvo from Pfizer – a vaccine administered before birth to pregnant women.
Read also: INTERVIEW. Bronchiolitis: from this fall, pregnant women and babies will be able to be vaccinated
Beyfortus had already been the subject of an immunization campaign last year and studies agree to conclude that it limited the hospitalization of babies in France and in the few other countries where it was tested.
The flu and Covid in ambush
Public Health France also took stock of the evolution of Covid and seasonal flu, against which a combined vaccination campaign began in mid-October for people at risk such as the elderly.
For influenza, the cases detected in mainland France have remained until now “sporadic”while Overseas, Reunion has been affected by an epidemic since the end of September. The decline of Covid continued, perceptible in community medicine, in hospitals but also in wastewater.
“In addition to vaccinations and preventive treatments, the adoption of barrier gestures remains essential to protect oneself from all winter diseases: hand washing, regular ventilation of rooms, – wearing a mask in the event of symptoms, in busy places and in the presence of vulnerable people”recalled Public Health France.
