Influenza in Italy: 841,000 cases in 7 days

The most recent bulletin from the ‘RespiVirNet’ surveillance service, edited by the Italian National Institute of Health, reports a marked increase in the number of cases in the second week of 2025, from 6 to 12 January, with approximately 841,000 cases of influenza-like syndrome recorded, bringing the total to approximately 6,793,000 cases since the commencement of health surveillance. The incidence of influenza-like infections is rising in all age groups, with children under five the most affected. Experts have also drawn attention to the rise in influenza-like syndromes caused by other respiratory viruses, particularly the syncytial virus (RSV). According to the virological report for the second week of 2025, the percentage of samples that tested positive for influenza on the total samples analysed was 27.2%, representing a further increase compared to the previous week (25.3%). The regions of Tuscany, Lazio, Abruzzo, Campania, Puglia, and Sicily have been particularly hard-hit, while Basilicata and Calabria have not activated epidemiological surveillance. Abruzzo has been identified as the region with the most infections, with 19.42 cases per 1,000 patients, followed by Campania, with 17.08 cases per 1,000 patients.