Pakistan Reports 44,336 Flu-Like Illness Cases in a Week, Up From 41,735

Short answer: Pakistan reported 44,336 suspected cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) in week 38 of 2026, up from 41,735, and 13,348 chest infections in children under five, up from 12,028, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says. Punjab did not report. Watch a child's breathing.

The NIH put the week 38 bulletin online on Friday 9 October 2026. We read its tables and set them beside the week 37 bulletin. The figures are suspected cases from clinics, not lab-confirmed ones.

Influenza-like illness rose by 2,601 cases in one week

The NIH counted 44,336 suspected ILI cases in week 38, against 41,735 in week 37. That is 2,601 more, or about 6 per cent. ILI was the third most reported illness that week, behind acute diarrhoea and malaria.

ILI means a fever with a cough or sore throat. It covers flu, but also colds and other viruses, so the number is not a count of influenza. Sindh sent 29,308 of the cases, about two thirds. Balochistan sent 7,614, up from 6,467. Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan fell.

Chest infections in children under five rose by 11 per cent

Acute lower respiratory infection in children under five, written ALRI, reached 13,348 suspected cases in week 38, up 1,320 from 12,028. This is a chest infection such as pneumonia. It rose in Sindh, Balochistan, AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sindh reported 9,105 cases, Balochistan 1,938, AJK 946, Gilgit-Baltistan 682 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 673. In Sindh, Dadu had the most with 1,547, followed by Khairpur with 985 and Tharparkar with 623. Severe acute respiratory infection, or SARI, which is the hospital-level group, stayed close to flat at 1,446 against 1,410.

Khairpur, Karachi Malir and Gwadar lead the district lists

In Sindh, Khairpur reported the most ILI cases with 5,514, then Karachi Malir with 3,579, Sukkur with 2,580 and Badin with 2,553. In Balochistan, Gwadar had 910, Kech (Turbat) 887 and Quetta 772.

The bulletin names Khairpur, Karachi Malir and Sukkur, and Gwadar, Kech and Quetta, as the main sources of ILI in their provinces. District counts depend on population and on how many clinics send forms, so they show where cases are reported, not where illness is worst. Karachi's other districts, such as South and East, reported very few.

Sentinel labs found influenza A in a small number of samples

The NIH's National Influenza Centre tests samples from twelve hospital sites. In week 38 it tested 38 ILI samples and 235 SARI samples. Influenza A was positive in 3 ILI samples and 8 SARI samples, all from the Punjab column. Influenza B and RSV were not found.

Two SARI samples in Punjab were positive for COVID-19 and none of the ILI samples were. These are very small numbers, so they say little about how much flu is spreading. We read the Punjab column from the table header. Samples from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and AJK showed no positives.

What families can do before the winter flu season starts

The NIH says Pakistan's flu season runs from about November to April and that vaccination is the most effective protection. It lists pregnant women, children, older people and people with long-term illness as priority groups. Check a child's breathing if a cough does not settle.

Our guide to the 2026 flu vaccine in Pakistan sets out which groups the NIH names first. For a child under five with a cough, our pneumonia signs guide explains how to count breaths and when to see a doctor the same day. A clinic doctor should make any treatment decision.

1. Count your child's breaths for one full minute while the child is calm.
2. See a doctor the same day if breathing is fast or the chest sinks in with each breath.
3. Keep the child drinking and feeding as normal.
4. Keep children with fever and cough away from babies and older relatives.
5. Ask your clinic about the flu vaccine before December.

Common questions

How many flu-like illness cases did Pakistan report in week 38?

Pakistan reported 44,336 suspected cases of influenza-like illness in week 38 of 2026, up from 41,735 in week 37. Punjab did not report, so the real national count is higher.

Does ILI mean the person has influenza?

No. ILI is a symptom group, a fever with cough or sore throat. Colds and other viruses are counted too. Only a lab test shows influenza, and the NIH's sentinel labs tested only a small number of samples.

How many children under five had chest infections?

The NIH counted 13,348 suspected cases of acute lower respiratory infection in children under five in week 38. That is up from 12,028 in week 37, a rise of about 11 per cent.

Which province reported the most cases?

Sindh reported the most ILI, with 29,308 cases, and the most chest infections in young children, with 9,105. Sindh also sends nearly every expected weekly form, which lifts its total.

When should I take a child with a cough to a doctor?

Go the same day if breathing is fast or the chest sinks in with each breath. Our pneumonia signs guide gives the breath counts. A doctor should decide any treatment.

Is there a free flu vaccine in Pakistan?

Not through the routine immunisation centres. Our guide found that the federal EPI website did not list influenza. See our flu vaccine guide explains where to get the vaccine and why prices vary.

How we verified this

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

Last checked on Sunday 11 October 2026. We read the NIH Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response bulletins for weeks 37 and 38 of 2026 from the National Institutes of Health weekly bulletin page. All counts are suspected cases as the NIH prints them. The sentinel laboratory table uses the NIH's own column headings.