Influenza Detections Remain Few And Far Between

In this World Health Organization (WHO) global respiratory update, influenza surveillance continues to be modest as the Northern Hemisphere prepares for the 2023-2024 flu season.

The WHO's Influenza Update N° 453 reported that in the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, including the United States, indicators of influenza activity were reported at low levels or below the seasonal threshold in most reporting countries.

National Influenza Centres and other national influenza laboratories from 108 countries, areas, or territories reported data from August 7, 2023, to August 20, 2023. These laboratories tested more than 230,916 specimens during that period and found 5,040 (.02%) were positive for influenza viruses.

Additionally, in temperate South America, influenza detections remained low, with A and B viruses co-circulating. And In the tropical countries of South America, overall influenza activity was low.

In the Central American countries, influenza activity decreased overall, with influenza B viruses most frequently detected, followed by A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses.

In the Caribbean countries, influenza activity remained low overall.

In Oceania, including Australia and New Zealand, influenza activity decreased with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and influenza B viruses predominate.

In South-East Asia, influenza activity remained elevated, with continued reporting of predominantly influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) virus detections.

Furthermore, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity was found to be generally low globally, according to the WHO.

As of September 4, 2023, RSV activity was identified during the past two weeks in some parts of Western Australia and some Central and South American countries.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  observed increased RSV activity in parts of the Southeastern United States as of September 5, 2023. The CDC's RSV detection graphs display the 5-week moving average in the U.S.