Headlines - Resumption of Winter Surveillance

As winter approaches, the InVS is resuming its winter epidemiological surveillance, a period marked by several epidemic phenomena (influenza, bronchiolitis, and acute gastroenteritis). This issue of the epidemiological update thus includes indicators related to these conditions: the number of emergency room visits and SOS Médecins consultations for influenza and influenza-like illnesses, hypothermia, and bronchiolitis; and the incidence rate of influenza-related consultations, estimated by the unified influenza network (InVS, Grog network, and Sentinelles). Severe cases of influenza will again be subject to specific surveillance this winter. Surveillance of acute respiratory infections and acute gastroenteritis in elderly care facilities continues, with particular vigilance during the winter. In France, these winter epidemics have not yet begun. Influenza activity is very low. A sporadic case of influenza A was detected by a GROG sentinel physician. Other respiratory viruses are more active; as is often the case in September–October, rhinoviruses (which cause the common cold) are currently the most active respiratory viruses.