Bronchiolitis: the epidemic is accelerating, the most important hit within the metropolis

The annual epidemic of bronchiolitis, which primarily impacts infants, has now unfold to a lot of the French metropolis after accelerating in latest days, the general public well being company introduced on Wednesday. In the course of the week ending November 5, “exercise linked to bronchiolitis was considerably growing in France”, summarizes a weekly report from Public Well being France.

Ten areas in epidemic part

4 new areas (Hauts-de-France, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie) at the moment are thought-about within the epidemic part, which brings the variety of metropolitan areas on this scenario to 10. Of the remaining three, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur are within the pre-epidemic part and solely Corsica remains to be spared. Abroad, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Guyana stay affected by the epidemic.

Bronchiolitis, triggered primarily by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), causes respiration difficulties in infants. Typically not critical, it might probably however result in visits to the emergency room and hospitalizations. Final yr, it was the reason for an unprecedented epidemic in additional than ten years, sending tens of hundreds of infants to hospital. The epidemic is at present lower than on the similar time in 2022 however a number of indicators, consultations with personal docs, visits to the emergency room, accelerated final week to return to the already excessive degree of 2021.

One of many massive questions is the impact {that a} new preventive therapy, Sanofi’s Beyfortus, may have. Initially supplied to all infants born since February, it’s at present reserved for maternity wards, pending new shares. Public Well being France has additionally given an evaluation of two different ailments: Covid, in a declining part, and seasonal flu, nonetheless restricted to some sporadic instances in mainland France whereas awaiting the inevitable annual epidemic. Solely Reunion Island and now Mayotte, in a particular scenario as a result of they’re topic to a reverse local weather within the Southern Hemisphere, are already within the epidemic part.