Influenza Statistics

Influenza Activity Surveillance & Graph 2024

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This report provides a summary of influenza surveillance data collected from around Australia and New Zealand. Regional reporting in some areas ceases when influenza activity is low (out of season). Please note that many people do not get tested for influenza and that there may also be some delays in reporting confirmed influenza cases.

Therefore data presented here may be underestimating influenza activity.

National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS)

Update for 26 August 2024

It is important to note that data reported from the various influenza surveillance systems may not represent an accurate reflection of influenza activity. There may be some delays in the reporting systems. Also, many who become unwell with influenza-like symptoms do not present to their doctor and are not tested for influenza.

Results should be interpreted with caution.

National notification data (NNDSS):

There have been 314,310 notifications of laboratory confirmed influenza reported to the NNDSS in the year to 26 August.

Total notifications from each state and territory are as follows:

National Vaccination Coverage Rates

Influenza vaccination is recommended for all Australians aged 6 months and older. Flu vaccination reporting to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) is mandatory allowing coverage rates to be monitored.

NCIRS has commenced reporting of influenza vaccination coverage for the 2024 influenza season, which will continue until the end of August. 

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Weekly influenza information is available in the COVID-19 weekly surveillance report.

Queensland

Reporting Period: 1 January – 18 August 2024

Total influenza cases YTD (1 Jan – 18 August 2024): 62,611

• 61,520 (98%) were type A only and 1,045 (2%) were type B.
• 7,569 (12%) were aged less than 5 years including 370 (<1%) aged less than 6 months while 8,031 (13%) were aged 65 years and over.
• 5,082 (8%) were admitted to hospital, 2,054 (40%) of these were aged 65 years and older.

South Australia

Update for the week ending at 17 August 2024

Count of influenza notifications in the week ending 17 August 2024: 1,652

Tasmania

Week ending 18 August 2024

Summary

• Acute respiratory illness (ARI) activity in Tasmania is currently moderate and stable.
• Influenza activity is currently moderate and stable, consistent with typical seasonal patterns.

Influenza notifications for week ending 18 August: 212

Influenza rate*: 37.0

* Notification rate per 100,000 population.

Victoria

26 August 2024

Victoria, local public health areas and local government areas surveillance summary report

Total influenza cases (YTD): 76,755

Western Australia

Week ending 18th August 2024

Influenza and Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI) Summary:

• In the past week, most indicators of ILI activity decreased or remained stable, except for the rate of ILI presentations to sentinel GPs which increased.
• Influenza notifications decreased in the past week but remained above the seasonal threshold.
• In the past week the number of influenza cases notified to the Department of Health decreased by 10% to 1111 cases but remained above the seasonal threshold.
• In the year to date, the number of influenza notifications and hospitalisations were higher than the previous five-year average, while the number of deaths* were lower. Thirty-six percent of notifications were in those aged less than 15 years.
• The number of influenza cases reported as hospitalised in the past week decreased in adults but increased among children.

Australian Sentinel Practices Research Network (ASPREN), FluTracking and New Zealand

Update for 31st June – 14th July 2024

ASPREN is a national syndromic surveillance program co-ordinated by the Discipline of General Practice at the University of Adelaide and The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. One of the conditions under surveillance is influenza like illness (ILI). General practitioners participating in the ASPREN program contribute data on the proportion of consultations which are ILI related.

NATIONAL SUMMARY

Influenza-like-illness levels are decreasing.

57 Cases of influenza have been detected in this reporting period:

• 56 x Influenza A
• 1 x Influenza B

28% Influenza positivity during the reporting period.

202 Cases of influenza have been detected this year:

• 191 x Influenza A
• 11 x Influenza B

SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE REPORTING

Reports were received from 327 reporters from 8 states and territories during the reporting period. During weeks 27 and 28 reporters saw a total of 48,765 patients.

INFLUENZA-LIKE-ILLNESS (ILI)

Nationally, ILI notifications increased during the period with 612 notifications being reported in weeks 27—28. ILI rates reported in this period were 14 and 13 cases per 1000 consultations (weighted). This was lower than the previous fortnight where rates were 13 and 15 cases per 1000 consultations in weeks 23 and 24 respectively. For the same reporting period in 2023, ILI rates were lower at 9 and 10 cases per 1000 consultations for weeks 27 and 28 respectively.

FluTracking

FluTracking is an online health surveillance system which aims to detect epidemics of influenza. It is a joint initiative of The University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Area Health Service (NSW Health) and Hunter Medical Research Institute. Participation is voluntary and involves the completion of a weekly online survey during the influenza season. Data are collected on basic demographics, symptoms of ILI and absenteeism.

Reporting week Monday 12 August 2024- Sunday 18 August 2024
(Data used in this report received up to 09:00 AM, Thursday 22 August)

Summary:

• Respiratory illness levels have decreased this week
• 51,182 participants this week

Respiratory illness activity* (age standardised):

*Respiratory illness activity is defined as fever & cough for this report

1.8% this week and 2.1% last week

Respiratory illness activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants:

3.3% this week and 1.5% last week

Respiratory illness severity:

27.3% of participants with fever and cough sought medical advice this week.

New Zealand

Week ending 18 August 2024

Summary

In the week ending 18 August the rate of ILI-related calls to Healthline was similar to the previous week, higher than the historical average (2015–2019) but lower than the same time in 2023. Healthline call rates are highest among young children (0–4 years). Influenza A is the seasonal respiratory virus most frequently detected in community and hospital settings. Both seasonal A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) viruses are
co-circulating with A(H3N2) predominance in recent weeks.

There were six acute respiratory viral illness outbreaks reported in the week ending 18 August. Five outbreaks were reported in aged residential care (ARC) facilities: one in Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty (SARS-CoV-2 detected), two in Nelson Marlborough (influenza detected in both), and two in Southern district. One outbreak (influenza detected) was reported in a hospital in Southern district.

In the week ending 18 August, the Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) hospitalisation rate in the Auckland region remained relatively stable and in the medium activity range. The influenza-positive SARI hospitalisation rate decreased and is now in the low activity range. This rate is slightly higher than usually observed for this time of year and relates to co-circulation of the two seasonal influenza A strains, particularly among children aged less than 5 years and adults aged 65 years and over. Antigenic typing of circulating influenza strains by ESR’s WHO National Influenza Centre show a good match with the 2024 seasonal influenza vaccine.

RSV-positive SARI admissions for children aged less than 5 years increased slightly in the week ending 18 August but remain low overall (not shown). The SARS-CoV-2-positive SARI hospitalisation rate is similar to the same time in 2023.

This does not necessarily reflect the trend in all COVID-19 related hospital admissions monitored by Health New Zealand, as different definitions for admission are used: https://tewhatuora.shinyapps.io/covid19/

Note that the results presented are based on data available as at 22 August 2024. These may be updated as more data becomes available and should be regarded as provisional. Please note that HealthStat ILI surveillance has been discontinued for .the 2024 season.