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 18 November 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 355,254 notifications of laboratory confirmed influenza reported to the NNDSS in the year to 18 November 2024.

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

Data extracted on 11 November 2024

• 23 people were in hospital with Influenza, 12 (52%) were aged 65 years or more and one was under the age of 18.
• 186 people diagnosed in the last week, 38 (20%) were aged 65 years or more.

South Australia

Update for the week ending at 9 November 2024

Count of influenza notifications in the week ending 9 November 2024: 185

Tasmania

Week ending 27 October 2024

Summary

• Influenza activity is currently low and decreasing.

Influenza notifications for week ending 27 October: 35

Influenza rate*: 6.1

* Notification rate per 100,000 population.

Victoria

18 November 2024

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

Total influenza cases (YTD): 69,017

Western Australia

Week ending 10 November 2024

Influenza and Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI) Summary:

• In the past week the number of influenza cases notified to the Department of Health decreased by 15% to 112 cases and remained below the seasonal threshold.
• The influenza PCR test positivity at PathWest remained stable at 2.6% (32 detections) in the past week.
• PathWest reported 32 influenza detections in the past week, which included 9 A/H1, 19 A/H3, 3 influenza A not yet subtyped, and 1 influenza B.

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

Update for 7th October – 20th October 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.

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

• 10 x Influenza A
• 1 x Influenza B

12% Influenza positivity during the reporting period.

391 Cases of influenza have been detected this year:

• 376 x Influenza A
• 15 x Influenza B

SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE REPORTING

Reports were received from 329 reporters from 8 states and territories during the reporting period. During weeks 41 and 42 reporters saw a total of 47,159 patients.

INFLUENZA-LIKE-ILLNESS (ILI)

Nationally, ILI notifications decreased during the period with 241 notifications being reported in weeks 41—42. ILI rates reported in this period were 6 and 5 cases per 1000 consultations (weighted). This was lower than the previous fortnight where rates were 7 cases per 1000 consultations in weeks 39 and 40. For the same reporting period in 2023, ILI rates were lower at 4 and 5 cases per 1000 consultations for weeks 41 and 42 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 04 November 2024- Sunday 10 November 2024

(Data used in this report received up to 09:00 AM, Thursday 14 November)

Summary:

• Respiratory illness levels have stabilised this week
• 36,956 participants this week

Respiratory illness activity* (age standardised):

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

1.4% this week and 1.4% last week

Respiratory illness activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants:

1.2% this week and 2.3% last week

Respiratory illness severity:

31.6% of participants with fever and cough sought medical advice this week.

New Zealand

Week ending 27 October 2024

Summary

This dashboard is now being updated monthly. The next update will be 28 November 2024.

In the week ending 27 October the national rate of ILI-related calls to Healthline increased slightly and is slightly lower than this time in 2023. Healthline call rates are highest among young children (0–4 years). Influenza detections in community and hospital settings are now at low inter-seasonal levels.

There were no respiratory illness outbreaks were reported in the week ending 27 October.

In the week ending 27 October, the all-cause Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) hospitalisation rate in the Auckland region decreased within the low activity range. Respiratory viruses continue to be detected at low levels. Rhinovirus, parainfluenza virus, and human metapneumovirus have been most frequently detected. The influenza-positive SARI hospitalisation rate remains below the baseline seasonal threshold.

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 31 October 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.