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Italy Nears Peak of Respiratory Illness Wave Driven by H3N2 Subclade K

The latest ISS report counts about 950,000 new cases in a week.

Overview

  • Since the start of surveillance in October, about 5.8 million acute respiratory infections have been recorded, with weekly incidence at 17.1 per 1,000 people.
  • Children aged 0–4 show the highest incidence at roughly 50 per 1,000, while older adults are most represented in hospital admissions.
  • Regional data indicate rising emergency‑department visits and hospitalizations for respiratory syndromes compared with the same week last season.
  • Sequencing confirms A(H3N2) subclade K as the dominant strain, which appears more transmissible without signs of higher average clinical severity.
  • Health leaders urge vaccination and basic precautions, clinicians report more gastrointestinal symptoms and occasional second fever peaks, and medical societies warn against self-prescribed antibiotics.