Flu cases in Australia have risen by more than a quarter in the latest fortnight, with infections continuing to increase despite the arrival of spring.
National figures show 31,650 influenza cases were recorded in the two weeks to September 6, a 27.2 per cent increase on the previous fortnight. The total for the year has reached 130,355, although it remains 62.6 per cent below the figure recorded at the same point in 2025.
The Australian Centre for Disease Control has warned that the country’s flu peak may not yet have passed, even though the pace of growth has begun to slow.
New South Wales has recorded the highest number of cases so far this year, with 65,615, followed by Queensland on 24,574 and Victoria on 21,723.
The latest increase is broadly in line with pre-pandemic patterns, when influenza infections generally began rising in June before reaching a peak in late August or early September. This year, however, the sustained rise did not begin until late July.
The CDC attributed the delayed surge to several factors, including waning immunity, increased social mixing after school holidays and cold conditions in mid-July that encouraged people to spend more time indoors.
Influenza A accounted for 30,074 cases in the latest reporting period. Covid-19 cases fell by 12.2 per cent to 4,178, while respiratory syncytial virus cases dropped 19.5 per cent to 7,075.
