Italy faces flu spike and pneumonia emergency

The latest data from the RespVirNet surveillance system has shown an increase in the number of cases of flu-like syndromes in the fourth week of 2025, with an incidence that exceeded the threshold of “high” intensity (17.3 cases per thousand assisted). The regions of Lombardy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzo, Puglia, and Sardinia have been particularly affected, with a rise in the number of cases of pneumonia due to various pathogens. According to Roberto Parrella, President of the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (SIMIT), the presence of multiple respiratory viruses is the primary cause of these flu-like syndromes. The samples analysed by different laboratories have shown positive results for various respiratory viruses, including influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), SARS-CoV-2, rhinovirus, human coronaviruses other than SARS-CoV-2, metapneumovirus, adenovirus, bocavirus, and parainfluenza viruses. The co-circulation of these viruses could enhance the clinical risk and the likelihood of complications, particularly among the high-risk categories, i.e. elderly patients, patients with fragile health and chronic diseases or immune system alterations, and children under the age of 5 or 6. Experts agree that increased vaccination coverage among the at-risk population is crucial to reducing progression towards severe clinical manifestations, which lead to overloading the health system.