ROMA (ITALPRESS) – The total incidence of acute respiratory infections in the community, in the week from 15 to 21 December, was 17.1 cases per 1,000 assisted (14.7 in the previous week), increasing compared to the previous week as expected for the period. Approximately 950 thousand new cases have been estimated, with a total of approximately 5.8 million cases from the start of surveillance. The incidence has increased in all age groups but, as usual, more in children under five years, with about 50 cases per 1,000 attendants. This is the report by RespiVirNet, published today and this year in an interactive form.
“The data shows us that we are approaching the peak of the cases, which will probably be touched in the coming weeks, in which we expect a sustained circulation of respiratory viruses as expected for the period – says Anna Teresa Palamara, who heads the department of Infectious Diseases of the Iss. Unfortunately, as reported by some regions, even this year the increase in the number of cases corresponds to an increase in the number of accesses to emergency and hospitalization especially for older people.”.
“Especially in these days when occasions of encounter and conviviality can promote the transmission of respiratory viruses, we remember that some simple precautions are useful to reduce the risk of contagion – continues –. From the local action to the washing of the hands to the so-called ‘ Respiratory Label’, which are also reported in the Faq on the influence and other respiratory viruses we have published today.
In the week both in the community and in the hospital flow there is a high rate of positivity by influence (31.5% and 46.2% respectively vs 36% and 40.4%). As regards the characterization of influenza viruses, in the community and in the hospital flow, the percentage of A(H3N2) viruses is much greater than the A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses.
To date no sample has been positive for type A influence “not subtipizzabile” as a seasonal influence, which could be indicative of the circulation of aviarian strains. Sequential analyses in progress since the start of the surveillance show that among the fluent virus strains A H3N2 currently circulating in Italy the subclade K is clearly prevalent, while between the strains H1N1 pdm09, all strains are grouped exclusively in the subclade D.3.1 within the broadest clade 5a.2a.1 to which also belong vaccinal strains. The intensity is very high in Veneto, province of Bolzano, Marche and Campania, high in Sicily, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Lazio and Abruzzo, average in Val d’Aosta, Lombardy, Tuscany and Puglia and low in all the others.
Through the RespiVirNet portal, 3.744 clinical samples received from the various laboratories involved in the network were reported during the week. From the analysis carried out 1654 (44.2%) are positive results to the influenza virus, 120 (3.2%) are positive results for VRS, 80 (2.1%) for SARS-CoV-2 and the remaining are positive results for other respiratory viruses: 199 (5.3%) Rhinovirus, 83 (2.2%) Human Coronaviruses other than SARS-CoV-2, 56 (1.5%) Adenovirus, 38 (1.0%) The data of the surveillance of access to the first aid reported by some regions (Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Marche, Lazio, Abruzzo and Sicily), updated at week 50 of 2025 (8-14 December), show an increase of both accesses and hospitalizations for respiratory syndromes than the same week of the previous season.
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
