High incidence of pneumonia cases observed in children seen in general practice consultations during the 2023–2024 season, France
Abstract Background An increase in hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae was reported in France in late October 2023. Data in primary care are scarce and microbiological or radiological investigations are not routinely recommended for community-acquired pneumonia. M...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Pneumonia |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41479-025-00159-x |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849392490437672960 |
|---|---|
| author | Caroline Guerrisi Olivier Steichen Titouan Launay Isabelle Bardoulat Delphine Viriot Mathilde François Aubane Renard Josselin Le Bel Louise Rossignol Romain Palich François Goehringer Alexandre Bleibtreu Isabelle Parent du Châtelet Thomas Hanslik Thierry Blanchon |
| author_facet | Caroline Guerrisi Olivier Steichen Titouan Launay Isabelle Bardoulat Delphine Viriot Mathilde François Aubane Renard Josselin Le Bel Louise Rossignol Romain Palich François Goehringer Alexandre Bleibtreu Isabelle Parent du Châtelet Thomas Hanslik Thierry Blanchon |
| author_sort | Caroline Guerrisi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background An increase in hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae was reported in France in late October 2023. Data in primary care are scarce and microbiological or radiological investigations are not routinely recommended for community-acquired pneumonia. Methods We computed weekly incidence rates of pneumonia and bronchiolitis cases from the electronic records of French general practitioners from January 2016 to August 2024. These weekly incidences were described in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, overall and by age group. For better interpretation, the weekly incidences of pneumonia and bronchiolitis were compared with virological surveillance data of acute respiratory infections observed in general practice. Results During the 2016–2024 period, 108,539 cases of pneumonia and 46,411 cases of bronchiolitis were identified from 51,351,414 consultations. The incidence of pneumonia consultations in general practice during the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 seasons is similar to that observed before the Covid-19 pandemic, after two seasons of low incidence (2020–2021 and 2021–2022). However, the 2023–2024 pneumonia epidemic is the strongest ever observed in children (0–14 years, and especially among the 5–14 years) in general practice since 2016, with an earlier onset. Regarding the incidence of bronchiolitis in children, the 2023–2024 season was in line with the 2021–2022, 2022–2023 and pre-pandemic seasons. No abnormal circulation of classical seasonal viruses was observed during the 2023–2024 season. Conclusions The sharp increase in pneumonia cases observed this season among children in primary care settings requires the implementation of studies to understand the cause and to confirm or refute the possible association with M. pneumoniae as observed in hospitals. Given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the circulation of pathogens, it would be useful to extend, even on a temporary basis, the traditional microbiological surveillance in primary care to include common bacterial pathogens affecting the upper and lower respiratory tract, such as M. pneumoniae, S. pneumoniae or Streptococcus A. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-af901909ddd54d138f28a1c6e668e7d5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2200-6133 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pneumonia |
| spelling | doaj-art-af901909ddd54d138f28a1c6e668e7d52025-08-20T03:40:45ZengBMCPneumonia2200-61332025-03-011711610.1186/s41479-025-00159-xHigh incidence of pneumonia cases observed in children seen in general practice consultations during the 2023–2024 season, FranceCaroline Guerrisi0Olivier Steichen1Titouan Launay2Isabelle Bardoulat3Delphine Viriot4Mathilde François5Aubane Renard6Josselin Le Bel7Louise Rossignol8Romain Palich9François Goehringer10Alexandre Bleibtreu11Isabelle Parent du Châtelet12Thomas Hanslik13Thierry Blanchon14Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, IPLESPSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, IPLESPSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, IPLESPIQVIA, Real World SolutionsInfectious Diseases Department, Santé publique FranceINSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, CESP, Bâtiment 15/16 Inserm, Hôpital Paul BrousseSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, IPLESPUniversité Paris Cité, Département de Médecine GénéraleSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, IPLESPSorbonne University, Infectious Diseases Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Pierre Louis Epidemiology and Public Health Institute (IPLESP)Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, CHRU-NancyAssistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Pitié-Salpétrière, Infectious Diseases DepartmentInfectious Diseases Department, Santé publique FranceSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, IPLESPSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, IPLESPAbstract Background An increase in hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae was reported in France in late October 2023. Data in primary care are scarce and microbiological or radiological investigations are not routinely recommended for community-acquired pneumonia. Methods We computed weekly incidence rates of pneumonia and bronchiolitis cases from the electronic records of French general practitioners from January 2016 to August 2024. These weekly incidences were described in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, overall and by age group. For better interpretation, the weekly incidences of pneumonia and bronchiolitis were compared with virological surveillance data of acute respiratory infections observed in general practice. Results During the 2016–2024 period, 108,539 cases of pneumonia and 46,411 cases of bronchiolitis were identified from 51,351,414 consultations. The incidence of pneumonia consultations in general practice during the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 seasons is similar to that observed before the Covid-19 pandemic, after two seasons of low incidence (2020–2021 and 2021–2022). However, the 2023–2024 pneumonia epidemic is the strongest ever observed in children (0–14 years, and especially among the 5–14 years) in general practice since 2016, with an earlier onset. Regarding the incidence of bronchiolitis in children, the 2023–2024 season was in line with the 2021–2022, 2022–2023 and pre-pandemic seasons. No abnormal circulation of classical seasonal viruses was observed during the 2023–2024 season. Conclusions The sharp increase in pneumonia cases observed this season among children in primary care settings requires the implementation of studies to understand the cause and to confirm or refute the possible association with M. pneumoniae as observed in hospitals. Given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the circulation of pathogens, it would be useful to extend, even on a temporary basis, the traditional microbiological surveillance in primary care to include common bacterial pathogens affecting the upper and lower respiratory tract, such as M. pneumoniae, S. pneumoniae or Streptococcus A.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41479-025-00159-x |
| spellingShingle | Caroline Guerrisi Olivier Steichen Titouan Launay Isabelle Bardoulat Delphine Viriot Mathilde François Aubane Renard Josselin Le Bel Louise Rossignol Romain Palich François Goehringer Alexandre Bleibtreu Isabelle Parent du Châtelet Thomas Hanslik Thierry Blanchon High incidence of pneumonia cases observed in children seen in general practice consultations during the 2023–2024 season, France Pneumonia |
| title | High incidence of pneumonia cases observed in children seen in general practice consultations during the 2023–2024 season, France |
| title_full | High incidence of pneumonia cases observed in children seen in general practice consultations during the 2023–2024 season, France |
| title_fullStr | High incidence of pneumonia cases observed in children seen in general practice consultations during the 2023–2024 season, France |
| title_full_unstemmed | High incidence of pneumonia cases observed in children seen in general practice consultations during the 2023–2024 season, France |
| title_short | High incidence of pneumonia cases observed in children seen in general practice consultations during the 2023–2024 season, France |
| title_sort | high incidence of pneumonia cases observed in children seen in general practice consultations during the 2023 2024 season france |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41479-025-00159-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carolineguerrisi highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT oliviersteichen highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT titouanlaunay highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT isabellebardoulat highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT delphineviriot highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT mathildefrancois highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT aubanerenard highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT josselinlebel highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT louiserossignol highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT romainpalich highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT francoisgoehringer highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT alexandrebleibtreu highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT isabelleparentduchatelet highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT thomashanslik highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance AT thierryblanchon highincidenceofpneumoniacasesobservedinchildrenseeningeneralpracticeconsultationsduringthe20232024seasonfrance |