Key Points

Monitoring of regional indicators for week 2016-52 shows that influenza-related activity continued to rise, both in community practice and in hospitals, following trends also observed at the national level. The region is in the epidemic phase of seasonal influenza for the third consecutive week, and the increase in activity is expected to continue in the coming weeks. This epidemic is early compared to previous winter seasons, with no signs of particular severity identified at this time. The A(H3N2) viral subtype remained the predominant strain in circulation.