Winter respiratory virus season slowly subsiding

News brief

After a tough flu season, today’s respiratory virus update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a bit of good news: Doctors are seeing fewer people with influenza.

Cases of flu are declining in most of the country. While influenza A is on its way out, rates of influenza B—which tends to peak later in flu season—vary by region. Levels of influenza A in wastewater are low. Influenza B is not monitored in wastewater.

Most flu viruses reported this week were influenza A(H3N2) and influenza B. Nearly 93% of influenza A(H3N2) viruses since late September belong to subclade K, a new strain that was not included in this year’s flu shots.

About 5,640 people were admitted to the hospital for flu in the past week, nearly 2,000 fewer than the previous week, according to the CDC’s FluView report. Eight additional flu deaths were reported in children, bringing the total number for this season to 123. Among children who were eligible for a flu shot and whose vaccination status is known, 85% of children who died from flu were not fully vaccinated.

The CDC estimates that there have been at least 29 million illnesses, 360,000 hospitalizations, and 23,000 deaths from flu so far this season.

RSV has peaked; COVID activity remains low

Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) levels remain high, the country seems to have gotten past the worst of RSV season, which has peaked in many regions of the nation. Levels of RSV in wastewater are low.

The number of COVID-19 infections is low, with low levels in wastewater. Although COVID-related emergency room visits remain low across the country, they are likely increasing in Florida and Massachusetts. According to the CDC, 2.3% of tests for COVID-19 were positive, along with 7.5% for RSV and 11.5% for the flu.

Quick takes: More E coli tied to raw cheese, drug-resistant Shigella in UK, TB funds for Sudan

News brief

Chris Dall, MA

Two additional illnesses have been reported in the multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli linked to raw cheese and raw dairy products, bring the total to nine, according to an update yesterday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The two additional illnesses are in California, which now has seven of the nine cases in the outbreak. The other cases are in Texas and Florida. The CDC and Food and Drug Administration say epidemiologic evidence links the outbreak of Shiga toxin–producing E coli to Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese and other products, but the company has declined to remove its products from the market. Three people have been hospitalized in the outbreak.
New data from the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show that sexually transmitted Shigella cases continue to climb in England, with 2,560 cases reported in 2025, up from 2,052 in 2023 and 2,318 in 2024. In addition, the two most commonly reported strains of the bacteria—Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri—showed high levels of resistance to tested antibiotics, with half of S sonnei samples exhibiting extensive drug resistance. “While most cases of shigella will resolve without treatment, more severe cases do require treatment and the options available are becoming limited,” UKHSA said in a news release.
The Global Fund today said it has approved $1.6 million in emergency funds to support the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) in Sudan, where a civil war has displaced millions and increased the risk of spreading the world’s deadliest infectious disease. “It is part of our mission to ensure rapid access to TB diagnostics and treatment for communities devastated by the conflict,” Mark Edington, head of grant management at the Global Fund, said in a news release. “Working with national authorities, local organizations, and international partners, we are prioritizing continuity of care and community-centered services to prevent further transmission and protect the most vulnerable.”