Respiratory illness in Italy
The three major respiratory pathogens side by side (influenza, COVID-19 and RSV) based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data from RespiVirNet (ISS).
Influenza: Low
Low
The source currently reports no meaningful activity (as of 16 Aug 2026).
Data window: Week 33 · Aug 10 – Aug 16 · Source: ECDC (weekly) · Source on seasonal break, next data from week 40
Get one free alert when the wave turns in Italy
We write exactly once: the moment the level goes up. No account, no newsletter. We store your address and the country, nothing else. Every mail has a one click unsubscribe. Privacy
View the last 8 weeks
In week 33 of 2026, Influenza activity in Italy is classified as low.
The source reports no meaningful activity across these weeks; a week-over-week percentage would be pure noise here.
The last 8 reported weeks
| Week | Relative | Level | vs prior week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 33 | – | Low | – |
| Week 32 | – | Low | – |
| Week 31 | – | Low | – |
| Week 30 | – | Low | – |
| Week 29 | – | Low | – |
| Week 28 | – | Low | – |
| Week 27 | – | Low | – |
| Week 26 | – | Low | – |
Across these weeks the source reports no meaningful activity, the values sit at the floor of its scale.
Current activity
- InfluenzaLowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
- COVID-19LowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
- RSVLowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
Situation by pathogen
Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV are all at low activity in Italy right now. This reads the weekly ECDC publications, most recently Week 33.
InfluenzaDetails
In week 33 of 2026, activity of influenza (seasonal flu) in Italy is low. The trend, derived from clinical surveillance, is stable. Activity has barely shifted over the past few weeks.
COVID-19Details
In week 33 of 2026, activity of COVID-19 in Italy is low. The trend, derived from clinical surveillance, is stable. Activity has barely shifted over the past few weeks.
RSVDetails
In week 33 of 2026, activity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Italy is low. The trend, derived from clinical surveillance, is stable.
Data, context and methodology
The current picture for Italy is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). RespiVirNet (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS) is the national public-health authority that feeds ERVISS with sentinel primary care and virology data.
ECDC ERVISS
ERVISS is ECDC's weekly pan-European surveillance summary for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. National authorities, in Italy's case RespiVirNet (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS), submit harmonised indicators every week, which ECDC publishes in a standardised dataset on Thursdays. Using ERVISS rather than each country's native portal ensures cross-country comparability.
ILI / ARI consultation rates and positivity
RespiVirNet (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS) operates a sentinel network of general practices that report weekly rates of patients consulting for influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infection (ARI). A subset of patients is swabbed and tested by reference laboratories, producing pathogen-specific positivity rates for flu, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
Why this source
Combining consultation incidence with virological positivity yields a pathogen-specific weekly incidence signal (ILI × positivity / 100). This is the standard European methodology and provides a more robust view than either indicator alone: consultation rates capture illness burden, positivity confirms which pathogen is driving it.
Qualitative classification
The “low”, “moderate” and “high” categories follow seasonal reference values and epidemiological thresholds calibrated to match our classifications for other countries. The ILI × positivity / 100 product is scaled to comparable thresholds using a divisor of 3, which aligns European sentinel peaks with the consultation-equivalent scale used elsewhere. Data refreshes weekly when ECDC publishes the latest ERVISS update, typically on Thursdays.
Source and seasonal pattern by pathogen
- Influenza
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on data from Italy's RespiVirNet sentinel surveillance system run by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). Seasonally, infection waves in Italy typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower during the summer months.
- COVID-19
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on COVID-19 indicators from Italy's RespiVirNet sentinel surveillance system run by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). Seasonally, infection waves in Italy typically peak during winter, with occasional summer waves driven by new variants; activity is usually markedly lower in late spring between waves.
- RSV
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on RSV indicators from Italy's RespiVirNet sentinel surveillance system run by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). Seasonally, infection waves in Italy typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower in spring and summer.
Frequently asked questions
How is overall respiratory-illness activity tracked in Italy?
ISS's RespiVirNet system integrates flu, COVID-19, RSV, and other respiratory viruses into a single weekly bulletin. It combines sentinel primary-care incidence, hospital and ICU admissions for severe acute respiratory infection, and virological positivity. Italian data also feeds the ECDC ERVISS platform. On infectrisk.com we summarise the combined picture as a qualitative low/moderate/high classification.
Did Italy experience a “tripledemic”?
“Tripledemic” is a media label for the simultaneous winter circulation of flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Italy saw clear co-circulation of all three pathogens in the 2022–2023 season, with substantial pressure on paediatric care driven by RSV and on adult critical care. Co-circulation has continued in subsequent winters, though the relative intensity of each pathogen varies year to year.
Why do respiratory illnesses peak in an Italian winter?
Even with Italy's comparatively mild climate, winter drives a clear peak. Many respiratory viruses remain stable longer in cold, dry indoor air, heated buildings reduce humidity in ways that weaken airway defence, and people mix indoors more during the colder months. Schools and end-of-year gatherings accelerate transmission just as seasonal immunity is at its lowest.
What is “immune debt”?
“Immune debt” describes how, after prolonged low circulation of a pathogen — for instance during strict COVID-19 measures — population-level immunity gradually declines and subsequent seasons can hit harder. Italy's post-pandemic RSV and flu seasons showed features consistent with this effect. It is a temporary catch-up phenomenon, not a permanent immune change.
How does ISS decide that activity is “high”?
ISS uses thresholds derived from historical RespiVirNet data. Current sentinel incidence, hospitalisations, ICU admissions, and positivity rates are compared against baselines from past non-epidemic weeks and against severe-season reference points. When several indicators cross into elevated bands at the same time, the weekly bulletin classifies activity as high, using the same framework that structures Italy's ECDC ERVISS contribution.
More situation reports
Data last refreshed: Aug 31, 2026, 11:10. Update cadence: weekly.
This page is not medical advice and does not replace consultation with a healthcare professional. For specific symptoms, please contact a medical professional.
About this page
Published by Renderei Martin GmbH, Berlin. No commercial interest in individual health recommendations. The app is optionally monetised via a freemium subscription.
Content is based exclusively on the linked official surveillance publications. Medical statements are curated against the guidance of RKI, ECDC and WHO.
Methodology enquiries: press@infectrisk.com