Australia is facing an abnormally late surge in influenza infections this year, the ABC reports — and while the total is predicted to be far fewer than in 2025, South Australia is not sitting it out. The number of flu cases reported in SA so far is well below the figures at the same time last year, but SA Health says cases are on the rise.
The late run is not a surprise here: in August, South Australia's chief public health officer predicted a late flu season for the state.
Nationally, the backdrop is grim. Last year the country recorded more than 1,700 influenza deaths — the most this century — across two peaks, with the second driven by a new strain of the virus. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Michael Wright said the good news was that this year's numbers would be lower, something he attributes to this year's vaccine covering that new strain.
The Australian Centre for Disease Control, which tracks laboratory-confirmed cases across the country, said that although flu activity had increased nationally, it had slowed in recent weeks — suggesting the national peak may be approaching. Since the pandemic, flu season has typically aligned with the winter months, but the centre's spokesperson said a peak in early September is consistent with pre-pandemic seasons.
Other states tell the same story of a delayed season. Queensland recorded an unusually late uptick after abnormally low reports for most of the year, and data from last week showed about 3,435 people diagnosed with influenza in the state. In Victoria, influenza notifications have risen by about 400 per cent over the past seven weeks — mostly influenza A — and emergency departments have seen a 25 per cent increase in acute respiratory infections over six weeks, mainly among children. Victoria's chief health officer Caroline McElnay said the season arrived later than in previous years, and Tasmania's Health Department reports rising but "moderate" case levels.
FluTracking, which publishes weekly national data on self-reported flu-like symptoms, adds a hopeful note: its latest report, for the week ending 13 September, shows respiratory illness — defined as a fever and cough — has plateaued this month, even as the surge lands later than in previous years. That echoes what flu-watchers observed before winter, when numbers were tracking down.
Dr Wright's advice for South Australians in higher-risk groups is simple: those with chronic health conditions, children under five and older Australians should seek medical advice on whether a vaccine is needed.