Key Points

• The gastroenteritis outbreak is still ongoing;

• After two weeks of decline, the number of positive samples for acute gastroenteritis (AGE) began to rise again in week 39 (W39), with a positivity rate of 74%;

• Rotavirus, Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Enteroaggregative E. coli (DAEC), and Shigella sp., identified in the majority of biological samples analyzed, are the pathogens currently circulating and constitute the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in children under 5 years of age;

• Sales of anti-diarrheal medications and oral rehydration solutions (ORS) in pharmacies have been above the average of previous years and at a historic high since the beginning of the year;

• Despite a decrease in the number of emergency department visits for acute gastroenteritis (AGE), the activity rate for this indicator remained significantly higher than those observed during the same period in the previous three years;

• While the occurrence of a gastroenteritis (GE) outbreak at this time of year is not unusual, the current water shortage in the department, coupled with a decline in adherence to basic hygiene measures due to the lack of water, has likely resulted in an outbreak that is more intense and longer-lasting than what has been observed in previous years.