2023-11-10 09:45:00
The double epidemic of flu and gastroenteritis continues in Reunion. However, health indicators remain stable with a drop in virological indicators for influenza. Concerning bronchiolitis in children under 2 years old, the indicators are also stable. (Illustrative photo sly/www.imazpress.com)
Regional epidemiological update – Week 44 (October 30 to November 5, 2023)
Emergency visits were stable in W44 (n = 3,959) compared to the previous week (n = 4,051). Emergency visits for under-15s increased by 7% in S44, compared to S43. Among people aged 65 and over, the number of visits to the emergency room was, however, down in W44 compared to W43 (-7%).
The participation of the network of sentinel doctors was 72% in W44 compared to 88% the previous week. The number of city consultations was down in S44 with a number of 1,691 consultations in S44 compared to 2,527 in S43.
Consultations for ARI were increasing in W44 (5.6% vs 4.4% in W43) while they were stable for gastroenteritis (2.9% vs 2.7% in W43).
– COVID-19 in emergency –
The number of visits to the emergency room for reasons of COVID-19 still remained low with a stabilization of visits to S44 compared to previous weeks (5 visits to S44 vs 8 to S43 and 3 to S42) (Figure 3).
The number of hospitalizations following a visit to the emergency room for reasons of COVID-19 was also very low with only 2 hospitalizations in W44 as in W43 (Figure 4).
– Mortality (all causes) –
In S42, the number of observed deaths of all ages and all causes was 138 people. The difference was 19% compared to S41 (n=116). The observed number of deaths was significantly higher than the expected number of deaths (n=109). It is currently difficult to know the reasons for this significant increase observed in S42.
Among those under 15, one death was observed in W42 (vs. 2 expected deaths), compared to no deaths observed in W41.
Among those over 65, in W42, 99 deaths were observed vs. 82 expected deaths. This figure was on the rise compared to S41 (87 deaths observed).
– Flu –
Visits to the emergency room for reasons of influenza-like illness were stable in W44 compared to the previous week (36 visits to the emergency room in W44 compared to 37 visits in W43) (Figure 5). Conversely, hospitalizations decreased with 6 hospitalizations in W44 vs. 12 in W43. The share of emergency activity for reasons of influenza nevertheless remained low, representing only 1% of total activity.
Since the start of the flu epidemic, a total of 17 serious cases have been identified by the intensive care units, including 14 adults and 3 children. For adults, the median age was 62 years. The majority of serious cases were represented by women with a M/F sex ratio of 0.21. Serious adult cases all presented at least one comorbidity. Two deaths were reported. From a virological point of view, the majority of serious cases had contracted type A(H3N2) influenza.
Virological surveillance identifies a majority of circulation of type A(H3N2) influenza (Figure 8). The positivity rate was decreasing in W44 with 22% of tests positive for influenza viruses in W44 compared to 37% in W43. Reunion Island remains in a flu epidemic. The epidemic peak was reached in S41.
In community medicine, the share of activity for acute respiratory infections (ARI) was up with 5.6% of total activity in W44 compared to 4.4% in W43, nevertheless remaining above the 2013-2022 average (Figure 7).
– Bronchiolitis (in children under 2 years old) –
Visits to the emergency room for bronchiolitis in children under 2 years old were stable in W44 compared to the previous week (Figure 10). In W44 as in W43, 43 children aged under 2 years were in the emergency room for bronchiolitis (Figure 10).
The number of new hospitalizations was also stable in W44 with 17 hospitalizations versus 15 in W43 (Table 1).
The proportion of visits to the emergency room for bronchiolitis among all visits of children under two years old was 11.3% in W44 as in W43.
Concerning virological monitoring, the RSV positivity rate was 2% in W44 as in W43. In W44, all positive samples were type B (Figure 10). Reunion Island was not in the context of a bronchiolitis epidemic unlike several regions of France.
– Gastro –
In W44, emergency visits of all ages for reasons of gastroenteritis were stable with 114 visits versus 117 visits in W43 (Figure 11). The number of hospitalizations was moderately increasing with 20 hospitalizations in W44 vs 15 in W43.
In children under 5 years old, visits to the emergency room for gastroenteritis were stable (n=62) compared to the previous week (n=63) (Figure 12). Hospitalizations following a visit to the emergency room numbered 10 hospitalizations in W44 versus 9 in W43.
In W44, the share of emergency activity among those under 5 years old for gastroenteritis was 10.3% as in W43.
Reunion remains in the context of a gastroenteritis epidemic.
In community medicine, the share of activity for acute diarrhea was stable and stood at 2.9% in W44 (Figure 13). The share of activity was above the 2013-2022 average.
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