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.
