The country is experiencing a seasonal surge in influenza cases, with weekly infections rising to between 10,000 and 12,000. Four deaths linked to influenza have been reported since January.
Addressing the media in Harare on Thursday, 13 August, Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary Aspect Maunganidze said the increase was driven by a prolonged cold spell that has pushed the country’s usual winter peak into August.
Maunganidze said the rise remained within the expected seasonal pattern, although the timing of the peak was later than usual.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care wishes to inform the public that Zimbabwe is experiencing a seasonal increase in influenza, commonly called flu, consistent with the pattern normally observed during the country’s cold winter months,” said Maunganidze.
“Influenza activity typically peaks during June and July. This year, however, the peak is located in August, coinciding with the prolonged cold spell currently being experienced across the country.”
Maunganidze said laboratory testing by the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory had shown that influenza A and influenza B were the predominant circulating strains, adding that there was no cause for panic.
“Our recent surveillance data indicate that reported influenza cases have risen to nearly 12 000 cases per week during the current seasonal peak,” he said.
“No coronavirus has been isolated from the influenza samples tested. The Ministry continues to closely monitor the situation through the National Disease Surveillance and Laboratory System.”
Maunganidze said the figure should be interpreted with caution, as influenza can worsen existing illnesses such as asthma, tuberculosis, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.
He said this did not necessarily mean that the virus caused every death involving a patient who tested positive for influenza.
He said the main feature of this year’s influenza season was the timing of the peak rather than an unprecedented number of infections.
Latest figures show that while the current peak has come later than usual, it has not reached levels recorded during some previous seasons. The highest number of cases in the recent past was recorded in July 2025, when weekly infections exceeded 20,000.
Outside the winter season, influenza cases generally remain between 1,000 and 2,500 per week.
However, since around March, the country has seen a steady increase, reaching between 5,000 and 6,000 cases per week. In the past three weeks, between 10,000 and 12,000 cases per week have been reported.
More: The Herald
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