The bronchiolitis epidemic continues in metropolitan France among infants, with a sharp increase in hospitalizations, and begins to threaten Réunion, the health authorities announced on Wednesday (December 1st).
Read also Influenza, Covid-19, bronchiolitis: a high-risk winter cocktail
As for several weeks, the metropolis is marked by a "
continuation of the epidemic of bronchiolitis
" in all regions, summarized in its weekly bulletin the agency Public Health France.
It is accelerating with a "
sharp increase in emergency room visits and hospitalizations
" for children under two years, specifies the public health body.
As for overseas, Réunion is entering a pre-epidemic phase.
Overall, 5,098 children under the age of two were seen in the emergency room with bronchiolitis last week, of which 4,577 (or 90%) were under one and 1,840 (36%) were hospitalized.
Of these, 1701 (92%) were less than one year old.
Very contagious
Common and highly contagious, bronchiolitis causes babies to cough and difficult, fast, and wheezing. Most of the time benign, it may however require a visit to the emergency room, or even hospitalization. Last winter, confinements and anti-Covid barrier gestures helped block all viruses, including RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), responsible for bronchiolitis. The children were less infected than usual and are therefore less immunized collectively, raising fears of a stronger epidemic this year.
This phenomenon could also concern other winter viruses, including those of influenza or gastroenteritis.
For the time being, seasonal flu, the epidemic of which usually spreads later in the year, remains little present in metropolitan France, according to Public Health France, which however notes an increase in cases.
In the Overseas Territories, Réunion, which entered the pre-epidemic phase the previous week, has not recorded any deterioration.
Mayotte, for its part, remains struck by the epidemic, as has already been the case for several weeks.
