Dengue Cases in Pakistan, Week 40 2026: 1,553 Suspected, Kohat Nearly Doubles to 427

Pakistan reported 1,553 suspected dengue cases in epidemiological week 40 of 2026, up from 1,397 a week earlier, the National Institute of Health (NIH) said in its weekly bulletin posted on 24 October 2026. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sent 1,334 of them, and Kohat almost doubled to 427.

That is the third weekly rise in a row. Charsadda is still the single worst district, at 506. Sindh's count fell slightly, and Punjab again did not report into the national system. Below are the province and district figures, the lab results and what to do if someone at home has a high fever.

Dengue cases rose 11 per cent to 1,553 in week 40

The NIH bulletin counts 1,553 suspected dengue cases in week 40, against 1,397 in week 39 and 578 in week 38. The rise this week is 156 cases, or about 11 per cent, almost all of it from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

These are suspected cases. A health worker logs a patient whose symptoms fit dengue, and only some are later confirmed by a lab test. So the number shows where pressure is building, not how many people truly have dengue.

Kohat jumps to 427 while Charsadda stays worst at 506

Charsadda reported 506 suspected cases in week 40, up from 461. Kohat rose from 243 to 427, an increase of about 76 per cent. Bannu held near 184. Together these three districts sent 1,117 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's 1,334 cases.

The rest of the province is far lower. Peshawar reported 60, Lakki Marwat 52 and Khyber 51. Nowshera had 16 and Haripur 11. We added every district in the NIH table and the total matches 1,334.

If you live in Kohat or Charsadda, the risk this week is real. The week 39 figures for Charsadda and Kohat already showed both districts climbing fast.

Sindh's lab confirmed 131 dengue cases from 2,461 tests

Public health laboratories in Sindh tested 2,461 samples for dengue in week 40 and found 131 positive, about 5 per cent. In week 39 they found 234 positive from 2,652 tests, about 9 per cent. Balochistan confirmed 2 of 42 samples.

The lab table has no figures for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Punjab this week. So the large KP count is not matched by a published confirmation rate, and we cannot say what share of its 1,334 suspected cases are true dengue.

Punjab again sent no figures to the national bulletin

The NIH table marks Punjab "NR", meaning not reported, for every disease in week 40. Punjab runs its own dengue surveillance, so its cases are missing from the 1,553 national figure rather than absent from the province.

For Punjab, district figures come from the provincial health department. The last official tally we saw for the Rawalpindi district was 58 dengue cases in 2026. Lahore and other districts publish separately.

What to do if someone at home has a high fever

Dengue usually starts with a sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes and body aches. Most people recover at home, but a small number get worse around the time the fever drops. That is the stage when warning signs matter most.

1. See a doctor if a high fever lasts more than a day, especially in Kohat, Charsadda or Bannu this week.
2. Ask about a dengue test. The NS1, IgM and CBC tests each suit a different day of illness.
3. Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen for the fever. NIH warns they raise the risk of bleeding in dengue, so ask a doctor or pharmacist what to use.
4. Give plenty of fluids, and watch for stomach pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding gums or unusual sleepiness.
5. Go to hospital at once if any warning sign appears. The full list of dengue warning signs tells you which ones cannot wait.

Prevention is still the cheapest step. Empty standing water in pots, coolers and tyres once a week, and use nets and repellent in the early morning and evening, when the dengue mosquito bites most.

Common questions

How many dengue cases did Pakistan report in week 40 of 2026?

1,553 suspected cases, up from 1,397 in week 39, according to the NIH weekly bulletin posted on 24 October 2026.

Which district has the most dengue cases this week?

Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with 506. Kohat was second with 427, up from 243.

Why is Punjab not in the national dengue count?

Punjab did not report into the NIH system in week 40. It is marked "not reported", so its cases are not included in the 1,553.

Are these confirmed dengue cases?

No. They are suspected cases. In Sindh, labs confirmed 131 of 2,461 tested samples this week, about 5 per cent.

Is there a dengue vaccine in Pakistan?

No. Qdenga is not registered in Pakistan and Dengvaxia has been discontinued. Prevention depends on stopping mosquito breeding and avoiding bites.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read the NIH Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response weekly bulletin for week 40 of 2026, listed on the NIH weekly bulletin page, on 24 October 2026. The file was posted that morning. We used Table 1 for provinces, Table 4 for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts and Table 5 for lab results, and compared them with the week 39 bulletin. The bulletin does not give the calendar dates of week 40 or a reason for the Kohat rise, and it has no lab data for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Punjab.