South Dakota Influenza Activity Remains Minimal, Though New Cases Rise

Northeast Radio SD News – South Dakota - South Dakota’s influenza activity remains low for the current season, despite a notable increase in confirmed cases and hospitalizations reported for the week ending December 6, 2025 (MMWR Week 49).

The South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) has classified the state’s geographic spread of influenza as Sporadic and the overall Influenza Activity as Minimal.

Weekly and Seasonal Case Summary

For MMWR Week 49, there were 99 New Cases of influenza reported, alongside 2 New Hospitalizations. No new deaths were reported during this week.

The cumulative data for the entire 2025–2026 season so far shows 188 Confirmed cases and 12 Hospitalizations. As of the week ending December 6, the state has reported zero deaths for the current influenza season.

Key data points for the 2025–2026 season (cumulative to Week 49):

Metric	2025-2026 Season Total
Confirmed Cases	188
Hospitalizations	12
Deaths	0

The percentage of Rapid Antigen Tests reported positive for Week 49 was 5.18%, with 10 total positive tests out of 193 tested.

Historical Comparison

Compared with the average influenza season over the past eight years (2017–2025), which typically sees 12,504 confirmed cases, 690 hospitalizations, and 40 deaths, the current activity level remains low. The average peak week for influenza activity in South Dakota falls around the first week of February. The state experienced its most severe recent season in 2024–2025, which saw 21,860 confirmed cases, 1,547 hospitalizations, and 65 deaths.

The South Dakota DOH encourages the public and healthcare providers to monitor the official influenza dashboard for the latest updates and reporting information.