RSV activity in Italy
Current respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity in Italy — based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data, set against the parallel flu and COVID-19 trajectories.
Current situation: RSV
In week 15 of 2026, activity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Italy is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is falling. Over a four-week comparison, a clear decline is visible.
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. How severe a given season becomes depends on the circulating virus variant and the population's immune status, among other factors.
Data sources 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.
Frequently asked questions
When is RSV season in Italy?
RSV in Italy typically returns in autumn, rises through November, and peaks between December and February before fading in spring. ISS tracks RSV within RespiVirNet, and paediatric bronchiolitis admissions are a particularly sensitive indicator. Intensity varies from year to year, and post-pandemic seasons have at times started earlier or been unusually severe.
Who is most at risk from RSV in Italy?
The two highest-risk groups are infants, especially those under six months, premature babies, and children with heart or lung conditions, and older adults, particularly those aged 75 and above or with chronic respiratory or cardiac disease. In otherwise healthy adults and older children, RSV usually resembles a common cold and resolves within a week or two.
Are there RSV vaccines or antibody treatments in Italy?
Yes. Italy has rolled out the long-acting monoclonal antibody nirsevimab for infants entering their first RSV season, with regional programmes and ISS monitoring its impact on paediatric hospitalisations. RSV vaccination is recommended for older adults in defined risk groups and, in several regions, for pregnant women, with programmes coordinated by the Ministero della Salute.
How is RSV surveillance organised in Italy?
ISS tracks RSV through RespiVirNet, combining sentinel primary-care swabbing, hospital admissions for severe acute respiratory infection, paediatric bronchiolitis data, and virological testing at reference laboratories. Results are published weekly and feed into the ECDC ERVISS platform, which allows comparison of Italy's RSV curve with other European countries.
How does RSV differ from flu?
RSV and influenza both cause respiratory infections and co-circulate during Italian winters, but their risk profiles differ. RSV is the leading cause of bronchiolitis in infants, while flu affects all age groups and is especially severe in older adults and those with chronic conditions. Symptoms often overlap, so a reliable distinction usually requires laboratory testing through sentinel or hospital networks.
Want the actual numbers?
You'll find them in the app.
Here you only see the trend. In the app: exact incidence rates, “X out of 100 people infectious”, your personal risk based on age and pre-existing conditions, wastewater trends, 36 countries, home-screen widget.
