Résumé
A La Réunion, le risque d’émergence de maladies virales est constitué par plusieurs zoonoses virales qu’il convient de surveiller: infections à virus Sindbis, virus de l’encéphalite japonaise, ...virus Wesselsbron, virus Nipah, virus Zika, virus West Nile, virus de la fièvre de la vallée du Rift. La lutte contre ces maladies virales émergentes (MVE) passe par une détection précoce des cas et donc un système de surveillance doté d’un véritable réseau d’information, d’alerte et de prévention international.
Elderly people in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to their age, the presence of comorbidities, and community living. On March 14, 2020, at the beginning of the first ...epidemic wave of COVID-19 in France, a cluster was reported in a nursing home in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. We monitored the outbreak as well as the infection prevention and control (IPC) measures implemented.
A confirmed case was defined as laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in a resident or staff member present in the nursing home between March 7 and May 1, 2020; and a probable case as a person presenting an acute respiratory illness after contact with a confirmed case. Symptomatic inpatient residents and symptomatic staff members were systematically tested for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, two screening sessions were held on site.
We identified 109 cases (98 confirmed, 11 probable). The attack rate was 66% among residents and 45% among staff. Half of all cases were identified during the screening sessions. One-quarter of cases had minor symptoms or were asymptomatic. The case fatality rate among residents was 29%. IPC measures were rapidly implemented such as the quarantine of residents, the reinforcement of staff personal protective equipment, and home quarantine of staff testing positive, which were supplemented in April by systematic controls at the entrance of the nursing home and the creation of additional staff break rooms.
This outbreak confirmed the considerable health impact of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a nursing home. In addition to the implementation of IPC measures, the early detection of cases through the screening of residents and staff is essential to identify asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases and limit the spread of the virus.
Previous studies on asthma mortality and hospitalizations in Reunion Island indicate that this French territory is particularly affected by this pathology. Epidemiological studies conducted in ...schools also show higher prevalence rates in Reunion than in Mainland France. However, no estimates are provided on the prevalence of asthma among adults. In 2016, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of asthma and to identify its associated factors in the adult population of Reunion Island.
A random sample of 2419 individuals, aged 18-44 years, was interviewed by telephone using a standardized, nationally validated questionnaire. Information was collected on the respiratory symptoms, description of asthma attacks and triggering factors for declared asthmatics, as well as data on the indoor and outdoor home environment. "Current asthma" was defined as an individual declaring, at the time of the survey, having already suffered from asthma at some point during his/her life, whose asthma was confirmed by a doctor, and who had experienced an asthma attack in the last 12 months or had been treated for asthma in the last 12 months. "Current suspected asthma" was defined as an individual presenting, in the 12 months preceding the study, groups of symptoms suggestive of asthma consistent with the literature.
The estimated prevalence of asthma was 5.4% 4.3-6.5. After adjustment, women, obesity, a family member with asthma, tenure in current residence and presence of indoor home heating were associated with asthma. The prevalence of symptoms suggestive of asthma was 12.0% 10.2-13.8. After adjustment, marital status, passive smoking, use of insecticide sprays, presence of mold in the home and external sources of atmospheric nuisance were associated with the prevalence of suspected asthma.
Preventive actions including asthma diagnosis, promotion of individual measures to reduce risk exposure as well as the development of study to improve knowledge on indoor air allergens are recommended.
Aims and Methods: Long term effects of air pollution on mortality were studied in 14 284 adults who resided in 24 areas from seven French cities when enrolled in the PAARC survey (air pollution and ...chronic respiratory diseases) in 1974. Daily measurements of sulphur dioxide, total suspended particles, black smoke, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric oxide were made in 24 areas for three years (1974–76). Cox proportional hazards models controlling for individual confounders (smoking, educational level, body mass index, occupational exposure) were applied, and frailty models used to take into account spatial correlation. Indicators of air pollution were the mean concentration. Results: Models were run before and after exclusion of six area monitors influenced by local traffic (NO/NO2 >3 in ppb). After exclusion of these areas, analyses showed that adjusted risk ratios (95% CI) for TSP, BS, NO2, and NO for non-accidental mortality were 1.05 (1.02 to 1.08), 1.07 (1.03 to 1.10), 1.14 (1.03 to 1.25), and 1.11 (1.05 to 1.17) for 10 μg/m3 respectively. Consistent patterns for lung cancer and cardiopulmonary causes were observed. Conclusions: Urban air pollution assessed in the 1970s was associated with increased mortality over 25 years in France.
From January to April 2015, Réunion experienced a major outbreak of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) caused by coxsackievirus A24, which heavily impacted the healthcare system. According to ...the general practitioners' (GP) sentinel network, the number of medical consultations due to conjunctivitis during this period was estimated at ca 100,000. This report describes the characteristics of the outbreak, which were obtained through several different yet complementary surveillance systems on the island. These included the network of hospital emergency departments (OSCOUR network), the GPs' sentinel network, an Internet-based population cohort ('Koman i lé') participating in a survey on distinct symptoms including 'red eyes' and the monitoring of eye drop sales. Overall the results of the different surveillance approaches were in good agreement regarding the outbreak dynamic. A peak of patients with conjunctivitis was detected in the first 15 days of March (week 10 and 11), coinciding with increased eye drop sales on the island. Strains recovered from outbreak cases belonged to genotype IV and were most closely related to strains identified in AHC outbreaks in China, Egypt and Japan since 2010. Continued surveillance of AHC in Réunion remains important not only locally, but also because frequent exchanges between the island and mainland France may lead to introduction of this virus in Europe.
Between August and November 2012 a severe outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred on Réunion Island, affecting more than 50,000 cases, particularly young children. Virological analyses showed that the ...virus responsible for this epidemic was rotavirus. Genotyping of stool samples indicated circulation of rotavirus type G3P8 but also G12P8, highlighting the risk of global emergence of this genotype in the coming years.
The 2016 seasonal influenza in Réunion in the southern hemisphere, was dominated by influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (possibly genogroup 6B.1). An estimated 100,500 patients with acute respiratory infection ...(ARI) consulted a physician (cumulative attack rate 11.9%). Sixty-six laboratory-confirmed cases (65.7/100,000 ARI consultations) were hospitalised in an intensive care unit, the highest number since 2009. Impact on intensive care units was major. Correlation between severe cases was 0.83 between Réunion and France and good for 2009 to 2015.
The 2014 seasonal influenza in Réunion, a French overseas territory in the southern hemisphere, was dominated by influenza B. Resulting morbidity impacted public health. Relative to the total number ...of all-cause consultations over the whole season, the rate of acute respiratory infection (ARI) consultations was 6.5%. Severe disease occurred in 32 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases (31.7 per 100,000 ARI consultations), 16 with influenza B. The observed disease dynamics could present a potential scenario for the next European influenza season.