Bronchiolitis: four regions placed in pre-epidemic phase

Activity linked to bronchiolitis among children under two years of age continues to increase, according to the latest figures from Public Health France (SpF). Four regions of mainland France and one overseas region are thus placed in the “pre-epidemic phase”: the Grand-Est, Normandy, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Pays-de-la-Loire and Guyana.

SpF reports that an increase in the activity of this respiratory disease “continues for all syndromic surveillance indicators”. That is to say on “SOS doctors medical procedures”, “emergency visits” as well as “hospitalizations after emergency visits for bronchiolitis”.

For the 1,300 children under the age of two seen in the emergency room for bronchiolitis during the week of September 25 to October 1 (week 39), 1,157 (89%) were under the age of one and 393 (30%) were hospitalized. Among these hospitalizations, 352 (90%) children were aged less than one year.

The figures confirm an “early start of activity” advanced last week by SpF, linked to this disease, considered to be the leading cause of visits to pediatric emergencies. However, the curve of the graph produced by SpF shows that the number of emergency room visits this year 2023 remains lower than those of previous years (2022 and 2021). Same observation for the hospitalization curve.

SpF also informs that the detection rate of the virus which causes bronchiolitis, called RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), in nasopharyngeal swabs at hospital remains “very low”. But SpF adds that “other viruses likely to induce bronchiolitis are circulating”, such as “rhinoviruses”.