Background

Since 2006, a circular from the Ministry of Health has defined the procedures to follow in the event of one or more cases of acute respiratory infection (ARI) in healthcare or long-term care facilities for the elderly, particularly in residential care facilities for dependent elderly individuals (Ehpad). All recommendations regarding infections caused by specific pathogens (influenza, pneumococcus, Legionnaires’ disease, pertussis) are included therein. A July 2012 report by the HCSP proposed modifying the definition of cluster cases to align it with that used for reporting clusters of GEA cases. It had previously been demonstrated that this criterion was as sensitive as the one used previously (3 cases in 8 days) [1]. From now on, the occurrence of at least five cases in four days must trigger a report to the ARS. The surveillance system for acute respiratory infections in nursing homes contributes to the early detection of clusters and the faster implementation of appropriate control measures. The collected data are entered into a dedicated application hosted on the InVS server.Prior to the onset of the flu epidemic, the ARS’s Disability and Elderly Affairs Division sent an informational letter to all facilities in the region housing elderly residents. This letter reiterated the recommendations and tools necessary for monitoring and reporting cases of acute respiratory infections (ARI) and encouraged facilities to obtain rapid flu diagnostic tests. These tests should enable them to quickly confirm or rule out a diagnosis as soon as the first cases of acute respiratory infection (ARI) occur, so that they can rapidly determine whether the cause is influenza and implement control measures as soon as possible.