Marche, 20,000+ new flu cases

The seasonal flu curve continues to rise in the Marche region of Italy, where, in the week of 6-12 January, the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) recorded an incidence of cases of flu-like syndrome of 14 per thousand patients assisted. Although the Marche region recorded an incidence of infections slightly lower than the national average, approximately 20,700 people were infected with flu-like syndromes in the second week of January, which was a further increase compared to the 19,350 cases recorded in the previous week. While the circulation of influenza viruses has increased significantly on a national scale, the ISS emphasises that the prevalence of influenza-like syndromes is also influenced by other respiratory viruses, such as Rhinovirus, Adenovirus, and Sars-Cov-2. Infections are rising in all age demographics. The most affected age group at a national level is children under five. Among Marche children aged 0 to 4 years, the incidence is currently lower than the national average, while the most affected age group is currently 15-64 years. The estimates presented are derived from data collected by 22 sentinel clinics, comprising family doctors and paediatricians, that is part of the national ‘Respivirnet’ network.