H3N2 Influenza virus kills one each from Karnataka and Haryana in a first in India

A health department official said on Friday said that Hire Gowda, son of Halage Gowda, 82 years, died of H3N2 virus on March 1. The Central government in its guidelines has set a target of 25 tests per week and the department is screening 25 cases of Sari and ILI in Victoria and Vani Vilasa Hospitals to keep track of the variants.

Hassan:The Union Health Ministry on Friday confirmed that the H3N2 influenza virus took a toll on the lives of two people, one each from Karnataka and Haryana. These are the first cases of death due to this virus in India. An 85-year-old man from Karnataka's Hassan is the first victim in India to have died of the H3N2 influenza infection, as informed by the Health Department Commissioner, D. Randeep. The identity of the second victim is not officially ascertained yet.

The Health Ministry further said that the cases arising from seasonal influenza are expected to decline from March end. State surveillance officers are therefore fully geared to meet this public health challenge. It affirmed that the officials are closely monitoring the situation and urging people to take precautionary measures to avoid the spread of the virus. The government is taking all necessary steps to prevent any further casualties due to H3N2 influenza.

As per government data, a total of 3,038 laboratory-confirmed cases of various subtypes of Influenza including H3N2 have been reported till 9th March 2023 by states across India. This includes 1,245 cases in January, 1,307 in February, and 486 cases in March (till March 9). Till February 28, a total of 955 H1N1 cases were reported, while a majority of the H1N1 cases were reported from Tamil Nadu (545), Maharashtra (170), Gujarat (74), Kerala (42), and Punjab (28).

The victim, identified as Hire Gowda, was admitted to the hospital on February 24 and died on March 1. His sample was sent for testing after his death, which returned a positive result on March 6. The officials have reported that the deceased had underlying comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension. After the man's death, the Health Department decided to monitor people above 60 years of age. The commissioner has sought a full report on the elderly man's death from the doctors and advised against self-medication in case of symptoms. He also told people to consult a doctor if they develop symptoms.

Karnataka Health Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar held a special meeting with experts regarding the detection of the new H3 N2 virus. Specialist doctors and health department officials participated in the meeting. The meeting was held after the Union Health Ministry issued a notice to all the states to chalk out a strategy to deal with the virus.

The Health Minister said that the H3N2 virus is not dangerous, but precautionary measures are necessary. He emphasized that there is no need to panic, but precautionary measures are necessary to contain the virus. As per the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, infections with H3N2v have mostly been associated with prolonged exposure to pigs at agricultural fairs. Limited human-to-human spread of this virus has been detected in the past as well, but no sustained or community spread of H3N2v has been identified at this time.

Karnataka has already reported more than 50 cases of H3N2 influenza infection. The state government is urging people to take precautions and follow preventive measures to avoid the spread of the virus. The Health Department has advised people to maintain proper hygiene, wash their hands regularly, and wear masks in public places.