After India registered two deaths due to H3N2 influenza virus in Karnataka and Haryana, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is keeping a close eye on the rise of such cases across the country. The Union Health Ministry is monitoring and tracking cases across states through the IDSP network on a real-time basis.
Despite one death in the state, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said the virus is “milder than H1N1′. He also said people need to maintain precaution, but there is no need to panic.
Besides, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the state currently has two cases of the H3N2 virus, but there are no new cases reported. “We detected influenza cases in Kerala during October and had issued a circular also. Doctors were told to send samples of fever patients for influenza tests,” she said on Friday.
The cases of the H3N2 subtype of Seasonal Influenza are being strictly monitored and advisories have been issued by ICMR on precautions to be observed for its prevention, as well as of eight cases of H1N1. Sources said that India currently has detected these two types of influenza virus circulating in the population.
H3N2: Guidelines for Prevention, Expected Decline in Cases
According to MoHFW, the cases of H3N2 Influenza virus are expected to see a decline by the end of March. Young children and old age persons with co-morbidities are the most vulnerable groups in the context of seasonal influenza.
The ICMR recently issued an advisory asking people to avoid self-medication and use of antibiotics in this influenza outbreak. An India Today report quoted a doctor of Fortis internal medicine, Vishal Gupta, as saying: “This influenza is also spreading because of the pollution aggregating factors and mostly people not wearing masks.”
The report stated that Dr Gupta advised people to maintain their immunity and wear masks in crowded places. Besides keeping themselves hydrated, they must avoid use of cold water, ice-cream, cold drinks or oily food, he added.
Karnataka & Haryana H3N2 Cases
The death in Karnataka comes days after its health minister K Sudhakar said there is no need to panic regarding influenza A H3N2 variant virus infection in the state. The victim was an 82-year-old from Alur Taluk of Hassan district in the state.
On Monday, Sudhakar had said that 26 persons tested positive for the H3N2 variant in the state, and among these two cases are reported from Bengaluru. He added that children below the age of 15 years face more danger from the H3N2 variant and that the variant also infects persons above the age of 60 years.
The doctors in Haryana’s Gurgaon, in the Delhi neighbourhood, recently said that the H3N2 influenza virus is behind the sudden spike in cases of viral infection and respiratory issues across the capital and neighbouring regions.
“We are witnessing 40% of the viral fever cases with H3N2 currently,” a Times of India report quoted Dr Amitabh Parti, director of internal medicine, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.
“Several people are coming to the hospital with post-viral bronchitis because of H3N2. This occurs when an immune reaction in the airways in the lungs after the acute infection of the virus settles down, and that produces spasm, shortness of breath, persistent dry cough with heaviness in the chest,” he had said.
H3N2 Influenza: Symptoms and Precaution
The country has seen an unexpected increase in Covid and H3N2 cases, which has experts concerned. Despite the fact that reported cases remain quite low, India has seen a 63% increase in cases over the last week.
Dr Randeep Guleria, chairman of the Institute of Internal Medicine, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, and Director of Medical Education, told ANI that the H3N2 virus mutates every year during this time and spreads through droplets.
“H3N2 is a type of influenza virus, which we see every year during this time of the year. But it is a virus which mutates over time called antigenic drift. We had a pandemic many years ago because of H1N1. The circulating strain of that virus is now H3N2 and, therefore, it is a normal influenza strain,” he said.
According to the US Centre of Disease Control (CDC), H3N2 infection symptoms are comparable to seasonal flu viruses and can include fever, respiratory symptoms such as cough and runny nose, and possibly additional symptoms such as body aches, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea.
Dr Guleria said that this influenza virus spreads the same as Covid-19, through droplets. “Only those who have associated comorbidities need to be careful. For precaution, wear a mask, wash hands frequently, have physical distancing. For influenza also, there is a vaccine for high-risk groups and the elderly. Its symptoms are fever, sore throat, cough, body aches and cold,” the former AIIMS-Delhi director added.
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