RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The term "super flu" has been widely discussed recently as seasonal influenza cases have increased in several countries, including Indonesia. Although it sounds alarming, "super flu" is not the official name of a new disease or virus, but rather a popular term to describe the increased transmissibility of influenza that has occurred recently.

The main characteristic of super flu is its ability to spread very quickly within a population. This is due to genetic mutations in the virus that make it more effective at infecting human respiratory cells.

This influenza variant was first identified by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in August 2025. To date, its spread has been reported to have reached over 80 countries worldwide, causing a surge in cases, including in the United States where millions have been infected and tens of thousands of patients have been hospitalized in a short period.

Previously, Health epidemiologist, Kholik Effendi, explained that despite its frightening name, super flu is not a new virus. "Super flu is not a new virus, but rather a popular term to describe the increased transmission of influenza A (H3N2) subclade K, which has undergone genetic changes making it more contagious," he said on Thursday 29 January 2026.

In Indonesia, the Ministry of Health recorded this variant's first detection in August 2025 through the ILI-SARI surveillance system and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) testing. By the end of December 2025, 62 cases of influenza A (H3N2) subclade K were recorded, spread across eight provinces.

The provinces with the highest number of cases were recorded in East Java, South Kalimantan, and West Java. The majority of cases are found in children and women. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health emphasized that the situation remains under control and does not show a significant increase in severity compared to the common flu.

Meanwhile, Dicky Budiman, a global health expert from Griffith University in Australia, urges the public to remain vigilant against the spread of super flu. In the VOI Talk program with RRI Voice of Indonesia, he affirmed that super flu is not as severe as the COVID-19 pandemic, but it still needs serious attention, especially for at-risk groups.

"Yeah, of course, we have to be concerned about this, but it's not at the level of the COVID-19 pandemic," Dicky said. 

Dicky also underscored the importance of influenza vaccination as a control measure. According to him, vaccination can help prepare the immune system and differentiate between recovery at home or the need for hospital treatment.