BEIJING, Dec 19: The A(H3N2) influenza subtype has remained the dominant flu strain since late March in China, accounting for 87.1 percent of all flu-like outbreaks, a Sputnik correspondent has learned after analyzing data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
China recorded 6,499 influenza outbreaks involving 10 or more people from March 31 to December 14, marking a year-on-year increase of 1,675 percent year-on-year increase compared to the 366 outbreaks recorded during the same period in 2024.
According to data from China’s CDC, epidemiological tracking shows the current influenza wave peaked during the last week of November, with 1,541 outbreaks reported. During this peak, the A(H3N2) strain maintained a dominant presence, accounting for 75.7 percent of all laboratory-tested clusters.
By mid-December, the weekly number of flu outbreaks had fallen by half, though H3N2’s proportional dominance had tightened further, representing over 80 percent of cases.
This massive surge in influenza cases followed a relatively quiet baseline in mid-September. From September 7-13, health officials recorded only seven total outbreaks nationwide, but the H3N2 strain began to emerge as the primary driver of transmission almost immediately.
By the end of September, weekly cases had more than doubled, with H3N2 identified in 75 percent of those clusters. This mid-September emergence signaled a significant shift in the viral landscape, as northern and southern provinces eventually reported vertical climbs in infections through October and November. (UNI)
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