Ministry say it’s unusual for Flue to spike in May and early spike warrants immediate attention and preventative action
The Ministry of Health in Kenya has issued a health alert following an influenza surge in recent days.
The communication from Health Permanent Secretary, Mary Muthoni, emphasized that while influenza typically sees peaks between February and April, and again in July to November, this early rise warrants immediate attention and preventative action.
Some of the signs and symptoms of influenza include fever, cough, sneezing, malaise, and sore throat. Although seasonal influenza is self-solving, it may also lead to severe disease resulting in hospitalisation and death.
In March 2025, health authorities detected a rise in seasonal flu cases caused by two influenza A subtypes, A/H3N2 and pdm09H1.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that flu A viruses are named by their surface proteins (H and N), with 18 H types and 11 N types creating numerous possible combinations—over 130 exist naturally (mostly in birds), but even more can form when two flu viruses infect the same host and swap genetic material.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies influenza as a seasonal epidemic, most common in cold months (temperate regions) but present year-round in tropical climates like Kenya. Recent cold weather may be contributing to increased cases. Global surveillance this April shows rising influenza activity in Central America, the Caribbean, tropical South America, Western/Eastern Africa, Europe, and Asia, while cases decline in the Northern Hemisphere.
WHO warns that “Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection targeting the respiratory system, primarily the upper tract, but can also cause severe lower respiratory disease.”
Dr Moses Masika, an Infectious Diseases Specialist, says the H1N1 (PDM09) strain is a mix of pig, bird, and human flu viruses first identified in Kenya in 2009, and has remained under global surveillance due to its history and potential to evolve into more dangerous forms.
“To explain this strain, it is like subtribes or some sort of cousins within the same clan, and they come up because the virus changes a lot,” explains Dr Masika. “So, every time the virus infects somebody, it makes a copy of itself with the risk that the copying may be different from the previous one, and sometimes it combines with other existing viruses in the person, and sometimes it may be a pig or a bird.”
Dr Masika adds that viral genetic changes can create new strains that evade existing immunity, similar to how COVID-19 spread rapidly as a novel virus that unusually affected healthy young people alongside vulnerable populations, prompting health authorities worldwide to remain vigilant about influenza activity, especially in winter regions.
While the currently circulating H1N1 (PDM09) strain is known, it continues to evolve.
Dr Masika further elaborates that “Although one can compare influenza with COVID-19 in the sense that there is some immunity in the population, the difference is that with influenza, if the mixing is occurring in a non-human like a pig or a bird, it brings in some components from the pig virus that is totally different, then there is a big risk of causing a pandemic because this is a totally new virus.”
This is why bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) actively track influenza strains worldwide, including Kenya, to update influenza vaccines annually and provide the best protection.
“We collect data from across the world to see what is circulating, and the main types that are circulating, like three or four strains, are included in the vaccine,” says Dr Masika, adding that many healthy people with influenza may not require more than just rest while taking enough fluids.
He says that the good news is that treatment for different flu strains is generally similar despite occasional antiviral resistance, but the priority is preventing widespread infection that could overwhelm hospitals if a severe new strain develops; while not currently facing a novel virus outbreak, the evolving H1N1 strain highlights why ongoing surveillance remains as essential for flu as it is for diseases like cholera or measles.
“Since Influenza is an upper respiratory tract infection,” says Dr Ngami Mutwa, a Physician at Machakos Level 5 Hospital, “one may experience signs such as a cough, sore throat that is painful while swallowing, and other general constitutional symptoms like fevers, fatigue, muscle aches, and a runny nose. One may also have a stuffy nose, and in children, they may have diarrhoea and vomiting, which is rare in adults.”
She adds that clinical diagnosis is common for influenza, though throat swabs for BIOFIRE (the new standard for syndromic infectious disease diagnostics) testing can identify specific organisms but aren’t widely available in rural areas; doctors may also run blood tests like Complete Blood Count (CBC) to check for bacterial infections by monitoring neutrophil levels and (C-reactive protein blood test (CRP) to detect inflammation, though the latter doesn’t pinpoint the cause.
“So, if you have an acute infection, regardless of the cause, it will be elevated, and when the BIOFIRE test is done, you are able to know exactly which virus is causing the inflammation,” she explains.
Dr Mutwa explains that flu lasting more than a week can lead to a secondary bacterial infection (shown by productive cough and increased neutrophils in blood tests), which requires antibiotics; however, since influenza itself is viral, it typically resolves on its own with rest and fluids.
“If you have headaches and muscle pain, we give you painkillers, but if we confirm through the BIOFIRE test that it is indeed influenza, then we can give you the antiviral to slow down the duration of the illness,” she adds.
Dr Mutwa notes that doctors will only prescribe an antibiotic if they have confirmed the presence of a superinfection, to prevent cases of antimicrobial resistance.
The Ministry of Health advises that high-risk groups (elderly, children, pregnant women, those with medical conditions) seek immediate care for flu symptoms.
County health directors must also implement preventive measures including avoiding sick contacts, isolation when ill, proper cough etiquette, hand hygiene, face masks in public, and surface and disinfection.
The Ministry also recommends seasonal flu vaccines especially for vulnerable populations, and symptomatic individuals (particularly schoolchildren) should seek prompt treatment while resting at home to prevent community spread, with county health officials coordinating responses and public education efforts.
The coming weeks will be crucial in monitoring the spread and ensuring the health and safety of Kenyans.
