Ab stract In 1996 data from labo ra to ries, gen eral prac ti tio ners and a na tional em ployer were com bined to de tect trends in in flu enza ac tiv ity in Aus tra lia. An epi demic of in flu enza A (H3N2) was re corded. Lit tle in flu enza B ac tiv ity was noted through out the win ter months, how ever the number of labo ra tory re ports of in flu enza B rose in the last quar ter of the yea...