Written By: Satata Karmakar | Published : February 8, 2026 4:19 PM IST
Delhi-NCR Health News: At a time when the country is closely watching over the highly contagious Nipah virus, doctor's across the national capital have warned of another potential outbreak that Delhi is silently battling. According to the officials Delhi NCR is seeing a surge in respiratory viruses, led by Influenza A (H3N2), causing high fevers and long recovery. Experts note over 50% of children in OPDs have symptoms, but cases are mostly mild and self-limiting with no spike in hospitalisations.
While such outbreaks are common during this time of the year, what has left Health experts baffled is the new signs.
Speaking to the media, officials revealed that the 2026 Influenza A wave in Delhi-NCR is primarily characterised by severe symptoms, high-grade fevers, and prolonged recovery times, often extending beyond 10 days.
To understand the situation better, let's take a quick look at this virus, and know if we are at risk of another fatal outbreak.
Influenza A is an acute respiratory viral infection (ARI), a severe illness that attacks the respiratory system of the body - leading to the onset of severe symptoms such as high fever, chills, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache, and muscle aches.
While most influenza A symptoms are mild and typically go away on their own within 5-7 days, experts say that sometimes the virus can trigger severe symptoms - making the patient experience a persistent high fever of 38 C or higher for 7-10 days or longer, as well as other serious complications such as severe pneumonia, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, respiratory failure, seizures, and death. Those experiencing flu-like symptoms and an abrupt onset of high fever should seek medical attention as soon as possible for a prompt diagnosis.
Speaking with ANI, Arjun Dang, CEO of Dr Dang's Lab, identified Influenza A (H3N2), Metapneumovirus, Coronaviruses, and Influenza B as the primary agents circulating in Delhi-NCR and noted that the surge is likely linked to cooler temperatures, fluctuating humidity, and rising air pollution, which often forces more people into crowded indoor spaces. Dr Dhiren Gupta, a pediatric specialist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, also reported that more than 50% of children in outpatient departments present with symptoms such as fever, cough, and body aches.
Dand further added, "The respiratory pathogen pattern shows predominant circulation of viral agents, particularly Influenza A (H3N2), Metapneumovirus, Coronaviruses, and Influenza B, which aligns with the changing weather in Delhi NCR marked by cooler temperatures, fluctuating humidity and rising air pollution leading to increased indoor crowding. The concurrent detection of multiple respiratory viruses suggests seasonal co-circulation/co-infections rather than isolated outbreaks, a pattern commonly observed during post-monsoon and winter transitions, while sporadic detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae likely reflects background transmission or a secondary bacterial infection facilitated due to the immunocompromised state during viral infections."
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