RSV activity in Iceland
Current respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity in Iceland — based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data from the Directorate of Health (Landlæknir).
Current situation: RSV
In week 15 of 2026, activity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Iceland is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is falling. Over a four-week comparison, a clear decline is visible.
The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on RSV surveillance data from the Directorate of Health (Landlæknir) via primary-care surveillance and Landspítali laboratory data. Seasonally, infection waves in Iceland typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower in spring and summer. How severe a given season becomes depends on the circulating virus variant and the population's immune status, among other factors.
Data sources and methodology
The current picture for Iceland is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). the Directorate of Health (Landlæknir) via primary-care surveillance and Landspítali laboratory data is the national public-health authority that feeds ERVISS with sentinel primary care and virology data.
ECDC ERVISS
ERVISS is ECDC's weekly pan-European surveillance summary for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. National authorities — in Iceland's case the Directorate of Health (Landlæknir) via primary-care surveillance and Landspítali laboratory data — submit harmonised indicators every week, which ECDC publishes in a standardised dataset on Thursdays. Using ERVISS rather than each country's native portal ensures cross-country comparability.
ILI / ARI consultation rates and positivity
the Directorate of Health (Landlæknir) via primary-care surveillance and Landspítali laboratory data operates a sentinel network of general practices that report weekly rates of patients consulting for influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infection (ARI). A subset of patients is swabbed and tested by reference laboratories, producing pathogen-specific positivity rates for flu, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
Why this source
Combining consultation incidence with virological positivity yields a pathogen-specific weekly incidence signal (ILI × positivity / 100). This is the standard European methodology and provides a more robust view than either indicator alone — consultation rates capture illness burden, positivity confirms which pathogen is driving it.
Qualitative classification
The “low”, “moderate” and “high” categories follow seasonal reference values and epidemiological thresholds calibrated to match our classifications for other countries. The ILI × positivity / 100 product is scaled to comparable thresholds using a divisor of 3, which aligns European sentinel peaks with the consultation-equivalent scale used elsewhere. Data refreshes weekly when ECDC publishes the latest ERVISS update, typically on Thursdays.
Frequently asked questions
When is RSV season in Iceland?
RSV activity in Iceland typically begins rising in late autumn, peaks between December and February, and fades into spring. Post-pandemic seasons have been less predictable than pre-2020 patterns, with earlier or delayed peaks in some years. Because the population is small, individual weeks can show noisier signals, so Landlæknir and Landspítali draw attention to multi-week trends rather than single data points.
Who is most at risk from RSV in Iceland?
The groups at highest risk of severe RSV are infants — particularly those under six months, preterm babies, and infants with underlying heart or lung disease — and older adults, especially those aged 75 and above or with chronic respiratory or cardiac conditions. In otherwise healthy children and adults, RSV usually resembles a common cold and resolves without complications.
Are RSV vaccines and nirsevimab available in Iceland?
Since 2023, RSV vaccines have been authorised in the EU/EEA for older adults and for passive protection of infants. Iceland has progressively adopted the long-acting monoclonal antibody nirsevimab for infants entering their first RSV season, and adult RSV vaccines are recommended by Landlæknir for defined risk groups. Uptake and clinical impact are monitored through weekly surveillance at Landspítali.
How is RSV tracked in Iceland?
RSV surveillance in Iceland combines primary-care consultation data, virological testing at Landspítali, and hospital-admission signals for severe paediatric and adult respiratory infection. Weekly results are published by Landlæknir and also reported to ECDC ERVISS, which allows Iceland's RSV curve to be compared directly with Norway, Denmark, and other EU/EEA countries. Cross-country comparison is particularly useful given Iceland's small sample size.
How does RSV differ from flu in Icelandic data?
In Landlæknir and Landspítali surveillance, flu and RSV appear as separate positivity streams within the same respiratory panel. RSV disproportionately affects infants and the very elderly, while flu burden spreads across age bands and is especially severe in older adults. Symptom overlap between the two viruses is wide, so the distinction relies on laboratory testing rather than clinical impression.
Want the actual numbers?
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