The 2024-2025 flu season has set a grim record in Italy: according to the National Institute of Health, estimated cases of flu-like syndrome have reached 16 million 129 thousand, the highest number ever recorded. This was reported in the weekly bulletin RespiVirNet, which monitors the spread of respiratory viruses in the country. In the last week, influenza circulation showed a slight decline, with 3.7% of samples testing positive (about 221 thousand new cases), down 5.6% from the previous seven days. But the seasonal balance remains exceptionally heavy. After two years marked by anti-Covid restrictions, which had contained the spread of flu viruses, last season had been particularly intense. Experts had expected a slowdown this year, but reality has gone in the opposite direction.