Bronchiolitis is gaining ground this fall in France. Hospitalizations of children under 2 are increasing. Four regions have exceeded the alert level, including Occitania and New Aquitaine.
Occitania and New Aquitaine go into the epidemic phase for bronchiolitis. With Ile-de-France and Hauts-de-France, four regions are affected by the sharp increase in cases of bronchiolitis, indicates Public Health France.
Of the 2,058 children under the age of 2 seen in the emergency room last week, 92% were under the age of one and 32% required hospitalization.
[#Bronchiolite] Weekly Bulletin October 12
➡️ Transition to epidemic phase in the Hauts-de-France, Ile-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie regions
? To view the bulletin https://t.co/ODvUoSV2ay pic.twitter.com/wsMUNnjJNk– Public HealthFrance (@SantePublicFr) October 12, 2022
Bronchiolitis, which originates from a highly contagious respiratory virus, usually begins in mid-October and ends at the end of winter. The epidemic peak is reached in December.
Bronchiolitis begins with a simple cold (stuffy or runny nose) and the child coughs a little. Then the cough is more frequent. Finally, breathing can become wheezy, explains the Ministry of Health. The child affected by bronchiolitis may have trouble breathing, have a fever and have trouble eating or sleeping.
The virus can be transmitted by saliva, coughing or sneezing and can remain on the hands or objects such as toys, a pacifier or a comforter.