Key points

Bronchiolitis Surveillance

• In mainland France, epidemiological data show that the number of emergency department visits for bronchiolitis has been declining for the past 3 weeks, with the peak having been reached in week 2014-52.

• In Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy, outpatient and hospital indicators have been declining overall for the past four weeks.

Surveillance of influenza-like illnesses

• In mainland France, epidemiological and virological indicators continue to rise, and the epidemic threshold, as defined by the Sentinelles network, has been exceeded for two weeks, confirming the start of the flu epidemic.

• In the Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy regions, outpatient indicators are rising sharply this week and have exceeded regional epidemic thresholds for the sixth consecutive week. Emergency room visits for influenza-like illness remain stable and moderate.

Surveillance of severe influenza cases

• In mainland France, 223 severe cases of influenza have been reported this season, including 20 in Nord-Pas-de-Calais and 2 in Picardy. The majority of these individuals had a risk factor for complicated influenza and were infected with an influenza A virus.

Surveillance of acute gastroenteritis

• In mainland France, the incidence of acute diarrhea cases seen in general practice is below the epidemic threshold.

• In Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy, calls to SOS Médecins remain high, although below regional epidemic thresholds. Visits to emergency departments for gastroenteritis, meanwhile, remain moderate.

Monitoring of carbon monoxide poisoning

• In mainland France, 631 cases involving 2,399 people have been reported since September 1, 2014.

• In the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, over the past two weeks, there has been an increase in reports of CO poisoning, likely linked to the drop in temperatures.

• In the Picardy region, no cases have been reported to the surveillance system in the past two weeks.

Mortality Surveillance

• In mainland France, as well as in Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy, all-cause mortality observed in week 2015-03 remains higher than expected values and close to the values of previous weeks. The increase in mortality primarily concerns people aged 85 and older.