What's going around in Italy?
Influenza: Low, COVID-19: Low, RSV: Low
Not many. Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV are all at low activity in Italy (as of 4 Oct 2026).
Data window: Week 40 · Sep 28 – Oct 4 · Source: ECDC (weekly) · Next update Fri, Oct 16
Current activity
Source: ECDC ERVISS, ECDC Data. Published weekly, about one week behind.
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.