New Delhi: Amid rising Influenza type H3N2 cases across the country, the union government has advised states and union territories (UTS) to raise community awareness regarding adherence to respiratory and hand hygiene. The centre has also asked the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)’s state units to keep a vigil and monitor the influenza-like illnesses and severe acute respiratory illnesses (ILIS and SARIS) cases and refer a sufficient number of samples for testing for influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and adenovirus.
Following an inter-ministerial review meeting with the NITI Ayog, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), issued a letter to the states and UTS alerted that an increasing trend of ILI/SARI being observed across the country. In his letter, Bhushan specifically mentioned the preponderance of Influenza A (H3N2) detected in the samples analysed in various labs as a matter of particular concern. As per the Government of India (Gol), young children, the elderly, and people suffering from co-morbidities are particularly at risk and vulnerable to H1N1, H3N2, adenoviruses, etc.
What the letter said
The states and UTs are asked to implement ‘Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in Context of COVID-19’ in letter and spirit for integrated surveillance of respiratory pathogens presenting as cases of ILI/SARS.
Adenovirus cases
Additionally, the country has also witnessed a rise in Adenovirus cases. Over 25.4 per cent of respiratory samples have tested positive for adenoviruses since January 1, 2023, according to the testing of the samples.
While most of these agents typically cause a similar mild and often self-limiting illness, the letter continued that in some cases an acute respiratory infection with fever and cough, particularly in older people, people with obesity and other comorbidities (like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic renal and liver disease, etc.), as well as pregnant females, may suffer from a more severe manifestation of these diseases requiring hospitalisation.
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