Diana Liburdi’s flu warning as Geelong has worst year on record

A Highton mum whose son was hospitalised with influenza is warning families to be aware of its potential severity, with 2024 now Geelong’s worst year on record for cases.

Aidan Campbell. Picture: Alan Barber

A Highton mum whose son was hospitalised with influenza is warning families to be aware of its potential severity, with 2024 now Geelong’s worst year on record for cases.

Greater Geelong has recorded more than 2255 influenza cases so far this year, according to Victorian Health Department data.

This outnumbers the previous worst year on record, when 2252 infections were recorded across 2019.

Highton’s Diana Liburdi, her partner Nathan, and their children Toby and Aidan became unwell in June.

The family only learnt they had influenza A after youngest son Aidan was rushed to hospital after his parents found him having a seizure in his bedroom.

Aidan, who was two at the time, was taken to Geelong hospital in an ambulance and placed in an induced coma.

Aidan Campbell with his dad Nathan, brother Toby and mum Diana Picture: Alan Barber

He was transferred to the Royal Children’s Hospital, where he spent five days.

“He was a very sick little boy,” Ms Liburdi said.

“It was probably the scariest time of me and my partner’s life.

“We were just so worried about whether he’d have brain damage or whether he would make it.”

Aidan Campbell in hospital. Picture: Supplied

She said tests found Aidan, who has since made a full recovery but remains on anti-seizure medication, had just had a “very severe” reaction to influenza.

Ms Liburdi said the family had intended to get vaccinated but had not got around to the annual immunisation when they became sick.

She warned other families to be “really mindful” of the illness.

“We weren’t aware of the severity of what it could do,” she said.

Aidan has participated in research on kids and influenza.

Barwon South West public health unit physician Akhtar Hussain said of those people tested by Barwon Health, like previous years, the majority of the infections were due to influenza A strain and only a small proportion of cases were due to influenza B strain.

“As the weather improves, we have been observing a weekly decline in flu notifications of approximately 30 per cent over the past few weeks, and notifications numbers are markedly less than the notifications we received during July-August,” Dr Hussain said.

“Whilst flu numbers are improving it is never late to have a flu vaccination.

“The numbers we are seeing are only those people in the community who went to their GP or health provider and had a flu test, so we expect the numbers are most likely a lot higher than the numbers recorded.”

Originally published as Diana Liburdi’s flu warning as Geelong has worst year on record