Introduction - This article presents surveillance data on severe influenza cases requiring hospitalization in the Pays-de-la-Loire region. The results are compared with influenza-related hospitalizations in the region since 2006. Methods - The analysis focuses on influenza cases requiring admission to intensive care units and reported since October 2009. The study of influenza-related hospitalizations was based on data extracted from the regional PMSI database of hospital stays with a diagnostic code for influenza and a discharge date between January 2006 and March 2011. Results - The characteristics of severe cases were consistent over the past two seasons, with a predominant incidence among adults aged 40–59 years. The pandemic A(H1N1)pdm09 virus was still predominant in 2011; 24% of cases, mainly children and the elderly, were infected with a type B virus. The characteristics of previous epidemics are highly consistent with existing knowledge regarding the impact of the dominant virus on the age distribution and severity of influenza cases. Discussion - The regional epidemiological situation is compared with those of New Zealand and Australia, which serve as good models for predicting the regional situation. (R.A.)