Respiratory syncytial virus season in the U.S. usually begins in October and fades by late March, but RSV activity seems to be holding strong in 2026.
CDC data on respiratory virus activity shows that influenza and COVID-19 are dropping off across most states while RSV is high or very high in nine states.
Overall, the amount of acute respiratory illness is low, according to a March 20 update from the CDC. The agency said COVID-19 activity is decreasing in most regions, seasonal flu activity is high but also falling, and RSV activity “is elevated but has peaked in many regions of the country.”
While RSV season usually follows similar patterns, an atypical, off-season surge in cases happened in summer 2022. This year’s season seems to be less severe, as the number of new RSV infections seems to be declining or likely declining in a majority of U.S. states, according to CDC data. However, the agency’s modeling of emergency department visits indicates new cases are growing in Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota and likely growing in Maine.
Nationally, wastewater activity levels for RSV are moderate.
“It is possible that more severe illness may be encountered with the shift in RSV patterns,” Shirin Mazumder, MD, an infectious diseases specialist at the Memphis-based University of Tennessee Health Science Center, told Medscape Medical News on March 24. “Clinicians should be aware of the RSV trends and promote preventative measures to reduce infection and complications.”
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