Bronchiolitis in epidemic phase in 5 regions: what does that mean?

Bronchiolitis is a seasonal disease. Generally benign, it affects the small bronchi (called bronchioles) and mainly results in coughing and wheezing. It affects the vast majority of infants, i.e. children under 2 years old. It is a viral disease, and several viruses of the same order can induce it.

In the last newsletter of Public Health France, broadcast on November 27we learn that acute respiratory infections are currently on the increase. Bronchiolitis, for its part, is entering the epidemic phase in seven regions of France – and is in pre-epidemic phase in five others.

The 5 regions affected by the bronchiolitis epidemic

The five regions affected by the epidemic: Île-de-France, Hauts-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Provence- Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

Overseas, the Antilles and Guyana are also in the epidemic phase. Five additional regions are in the pre-epidemic phase: Burgundy-Franche-Comté, Grand Est, Normandy, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Pays de la Loire.

An epidemic means that an infectious, contagious disease spreads very quickly in a given place. To declare it, at least one contaminated person must potentially infect more than one other person: what is evaluated is then the basic reproduction rate, or R0. When R0 = 3, we move to 4 infected people, because a person already infected contaminates 3 others.

Another rate taken into account: the incidence rate, which refers more simply to the number of people affected, in a given time, in a given area, in proportion to the total population of this area. The hospitalization rate is also considered, as is the passage to intensive care.

Epidemics can be seasonal. This is the case every year for bronchiolitis and for the flu. Currently, moreover, the flu is only in the pre-epidemic phase in three regions: the indicators are slightly increasing, but not enough to declare an epidemic phase.

As for covid, Public Health France notes a “ maintenance of stability of syndromic indicators and reduction of virological indicators “. The disease is circulating, but without acceleration.

Remember that vaccines against flu and covid, which can be done at the same time, are open this season.

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