2024 Annual Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report

In 2024, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were nationally notifiable in Australia. The states and territories reported 302,250 COVID-19, 365,589 influenza, and 175,918 RSV notifications to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. Influenza and RSV notifications increased between 2023 and 2024; however, COVID-19 notifications decreased. Trends in test positivity from sentinel laboratories were generally reflective of the trends in case notifications. The weekly proportion of new 'fever and cough' symptoms in the community remained stable between 2023 and 2024. In contrast, influenza-like-illness notification rates for consultations at sentinel general practice sites in 2024 were higher than in previous years, reflecting increased activity in case notifications. In 2024, there were fewer sentinel hospital admissions with COVID-19 or influenza than in 2023 or 2022, and the proportion of patients admitted directly to intensive care remained low and stable. In contrast, there were more sentinel intensive care admissions for severe acute respiratory infections overall in 2024 than in 2023; however, there were fewer intensive care admissions with COVID-19 than in previous years. In 2024, deaths involving influenza and RSV increased compared to 2023, whereas deaths involving COVID-19 decreased. However, COVID-19 remains the leading cause of acute respiratory infection mortality. All three acute respiratory infections are more likely to cause death in older age groups than in younger age groups. Overall, information from Australia's national acute respiratory infection surveillance systems indicates there was high acute respiratory infection activity with moderate severity but a lower burden on health system utilisation in 2024.