Bronchiolitis is progressing in mainland France as well as in the overseas departments and regions: Brittany, Pays de la Loire and Guyana entered the epidemic phase during the week of October 9 to 15, 2023.
- In France, the Brittany and Pays de la Loire regions have entered the epidemic phase, bringing the epidemic regions to three. Five regions are in the pre-epidemic phase.
- In the overseas departments and regions, Guyana has entered the epidemic phase, bringing the regions in the epidemic phase to three.
- The increase in activity linked to bronchiolitis affects all of the surveillance indicators of Public Health France: SOS Médecins medical procedures, visits to the emergency room and hospitalizations after visits to the emergency room for bronchiolitis.
The bronchiolitis epidemic is becoming more and more active on French soil. Île-de-France, Guadeloupe and Martinique, placed on epidemic alert at the beginning of October, were joined in this 41st week of the year by Brittany, Pays de la Loire and Guyana.
Bronchiolitis: increasing activity
In his weekly assessment of acute respiratory infections published on October 18, Public Health France warns that “activity linked to bronchiolitis in community medicine and hospitals continued to increase for bronchiolitis in children under 2 years old with the transition to the epidemic phase this week in Brittany, Pays de la Loire and Guyana”.
Among the 6,506 medical procedures carried out by SOS Médocs for children under 2 years old between October 9 and 15, 393 (6%; +1 point in 1 week) were linked to bronchiolitis. Moreover, 1,950 small have been to the emergency room because they were suffering from this disease. 597 of them, either 30.6% of these young patients were hospitalized. 21 children were treated by the intensive care unit after going to the emergency room.
“An increase in hospitalizations after going to the emergency room for bronchiolitis was observed in children under 2 years old (+15% compared to week 40). The increases observed, however, remained lower than those of the last two seasons.specifies the organization in its report.
Bronchiolitis: how to preventinfection ?
“Adults and older children who carry the respiratory syncytial virus (responsible for bronchiolitis, Editor’s note) usually have no signs or have a simple cold. So many people carry the virus and are contagious without it. know”, warns Public Health France.
In addition to the preventive treatment against bronchiolitis now available for babyIf less than a year old, several actions can reduce the risk of transmission of infection. Health authorities remind adults that it is recommended of :
- se wash hands before and after each care of the child (exchangefeeding, meal, cuddle…) ;
- ventilate regularly accommodation: it is recommended to open all the windows in the room for 5 to 10 minutes every day;
- wear a mask in case of cold, cough and fever and avoid kissing the baby on the face or hands;
- limit travel with the child in confined public places such as public transport or shopping centers where there is a risk of being in contact with people with colds;
- born do not lend or borrow bottles, pacifiers or blankets washed ;
- born no smoking near children.
