Flu cases surge to 12 000 a week

One of the common misconceptions is that cold weather itself causes flu or the common cold

Rumbidzayi Zinyuke

Senior Health Reporter

Zimbabwe’s weekly influenza cases have risen from the normal off-season range of 1 000 to 2 500 to between 10 000 and 12 000 cases in recent weeks, with the country’s peak coming unusually late in August amid a prolonged cold spell.

According to data from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, cases began increasing around March, rising to between 5000 and 6 000 per week, before surpassing 10 000 over the past three weeks.

The figures remain below the more than 20 000 cases recorded in a single week in mid-July 2025.

Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary Dr Aspect Maunganidze said the unusual feature this year was the timing rather than the magnitude of the outbreak.

“The Ministry wishes to reassure the public once again that the current increase in influenza activity remains within the expected seasonal pattern, although the peak has now occurred in August. There is no cause for panic. The Ministry has the necessary surveillance, laboratory and clinical systems in place and is adequately monitoring and responding to the situation,” he said.

Since January, four deaths have been reported in relation to influenza, while 302 tests for specific indications have detected no coronavirus.