More than 382 students at St Faith's High School in Makoni District, Manicaland Province, have been affected by an outbreak of an acute respiratory illness that has left eight learners hospitalised and prompted an investigation by health authorities into its cause.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care says the illness is presenting with flu-like symptoms similar to COVID-19 and other viral respiratory tract infections. However, officials have not been able to confirm the exact cause because of a shortage of diagnostic testing kits.

Makoni District Medical Officer Dr Tendai Nyafesa said the outbreak began on 16 July and, despite the high number of infections, remains confined to the boarding school.

"Since Thursday, July 16, 2026, the school has recorded an outbreak of an acute respiratory tract infection, with a cumulative total of more than 382 students presenting with flu-like symptoms. The clinical presentation strongly mirrors COVID-19 and other viral respiratory tract infections," Dr Nyafesa said.

He said 275 learners received treatment at the school's Jairos Jiri Clinic, while the remaining students sought medical attention at a private medical facility.

"Currently, eight students remain admitted for observation. All admitted patients are in stable condition," he said.

Dr Nyafesa said efforts to establish the precise cause of the outbreak had been hampered by a shortage of testing kits needed to confirm infections such as COVID-19.

"Definitive diagnosis, such as COVID-19 confirmation, could not be established due to a current shortage of diagnostic testing kits," he said, adding that most affected students were responding well to supportive treatment.

Health authorities say there is no indication that the illness has spread beyond the school community.

"To date, the outbreak remains strictly localised to the school. No community transmission or cases outside the institution have been reported," Dr Nyafesa said.

In a letter addressed to parents and guardians, school head A. Makamba acknowledged that the illness had affected a large proportion of learners and assured families that health authorities had been notified.

"There has been a cold flu in the school which has affected most of our students since Thursday night, 16th of July 2026. Some of the students have been attended to at our local clinic and at Tait Medical Centre," Makamba wrote.

The school said it had informed both the District Health Office and the District Education Office and pledged to keep parents updated as the situation evolves.

Parents whose children attend the school said the speed at which the illness spread initially fuelled fears of a COVID-19 outbreak.

"My Form Two son at St Faith's is one of the affected pupils and is admitted at a hospital in Rusape. The doctors said he has pneumonia on admission," one parent said.

An assessment by the Makoni District Health Team identified overcrowded boarding facilities as a likely factor behind the rapid transmission of the illness, with Form Two dormitories singled out as the most congested.

Health officials have directed the school to immediately reduce overcrowding in the affected dormitories to improve physical distancing. They have also instructed the school to provide warm bathing water each morning and strengthen disease surveillance through daily monitoring by the school nurse and the Environmental Health Technician to detect new infections and monitor students' recovery.

The outbreak comes as Zimbabwe continues to strengthen surveillance for respiratory diseases following lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public health experts have previously warned that crowded environments such as boarding schools, prisons and hostels can accelerate the spread of respiratory viruses, particularly during the winter season when influenza and other respiratory infections typically increase.