Influenza, rising cases slow in Italy

According to the Italian Istituto Superiore di Sanità, the slowdown in cases of flu-like syndromes in Italy in the third week of 2025 marks the reaching of the seasonal peak, with an incidence level of 15 cases per thousand patients (14.4 in the previous week). The latest report from the ‘RespiVirNet’ observatory indicates approximately 886,000 new cases of infection over the past seven days, bringing the total to approximately 7,705,000 cases since the onset of epidemiological surveillance. The incidence is rising only in paediatric age groups, particularly among children under five years of age, where it stands at 34.2 cases per thousand. The incidence remains stable among young adults and the elderly. During the week, the percentage of samples testing positive for influenza out of the total samples analysed was 31%, unchanged from the previous week (31.8%). Of the 3,023 clinical samples received from the various laboratories belonging to the ‘RespiVirNet’ network, 937 tested positive for influenza. Of these, 742 were type A, and 195 were type B. The regions of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Marche, Lazio, Abruzzo, and Campania have been most affected. Notably, Basilicata and Calabria have not activated epidemiological surveillance.