Bronchiolitis: the epidemic stage reaches almost everywhere in France – archyde

A sharp rise in epidemic alert signals, while only two regions, Grand-Est and Île-de-France, were placed in red vigilance last week. Overseas, only Guyana is now affected by the virus, the alert having been raised in Mayotte, back in the green.

Nearly 800 babies hospitalized last week

Periods of bronchiolitis are usually not particularly worrying for specialists. But this year, the virus appeared particularly early and specialists, after a white season marked by the absence of seasonal flu and other winter viruses last year, worry about a potential lack of immune defenses among the general population and among the youngest, who are particularly exposed to it (almost two-thirds of infants catch it each year).

A concern confirmed by the figures, with a level of passages “higher than the previous three years for bronchiolitis”, according to Public Health France. Thus, from October 11 to 17, 2,377 children under the age of two were seen in the emergency room for bronchiolitis. Of these, 2,131 (90%) were less than one year old and 799 (34%) were hospitalized. This corresponds to a 33% increase in emergency room visits and 24% in hospitalizations.