Australia posts record influenza cases for May

CANBERRA • Australia has reported its highest number of influenza infections for the month of May on record.

Latest data from the national disease surveillance system revealed 65,770 flu cases were recorded across Australia last month.

That marks an increase of more than 100 per cent from the previous May record set in 2019.

As at June 5, a total of 87,989 influenza cases have been logged in Australia this year, according to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS).

Of those, 47,860, or 54 per cent, were reported in the two weeks up to June 5 as winter set in.

There were fewer than 1,000 influenza cases in Australia last year and more than 21,000 in 2020 as a result of restrictions introduced to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

"From mid-April, the weekly number of notifications of laboratory-confirmed influenza reported in Australia has exceeded the five-year average," the NNDSS said.

There have been 27 influenzaassociated deaths in Australia this year and 733 cases have been treated in hospital.

Experts warn that, with restrictions now lifted, Australia is facing an influenza resurgence over winter which, with a spike in Covid-19 cases, could put significant pressure on the health system.

The Australian Medical Association also warned that with the ongoing spread of Covid-19 and the resurgence of influenza, the winter will be "the worst it has ever been" for the health system.

Dr Jonathan Anderson, head of medical affairs at pharmaceutical company Seqirus, told an industry forum that the rest of the world will be watching how Australia copes with the spike.

"Australia is in a unique position in that we are one of the first countries to face Covid-19 and a simultaneous flu season that is similar to pre-Covid levels," he was quoted by the Australian Associated Press as saying on Saturday.

XINHUA