Influenza A virus makes a comback in Telangana

The rise of Influenza A (H1N1) cases in Telangana has also coincided with a large cross-section of individuals reporting to nursing homes and clinics with symptoms of fever, sore throat, body aches

Hyderabad: After a lull of nearly three-years, when the SARS-CoV-2 was the dominant viral strain during the Covid pandemic, the influenza A (H1N1), formerly known as swine flu, has made a comeback and is now the dominant circulating virus not only in Telangana but across many parts of the country.

Based on the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) surveillance data collected through its network of laboratories, in which the central laboratory of Gandhi Hospital is also included, the influenza A (H1N1) and another subtype A (H3N2) cases have witnessed a significant rise since December, 2022 till this March, 2023 in Telangana.

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Since last December, the rise of Influenza A (H1N1) cases in Telangana has also coincided with a large cross-section of individuals reporting to nursing homes and clinics with symptoms of fever, sore throat, body aches and persistent cough that take at least a week to subside. While almost all such individuals tested negative for Covid-19, they, however, continued to suffer from morbidity/ sickness, especially with fever and persistent cough that remained for more than a week.

Based on the ICMR surveillance data, influenza A subtype (H3N2) was also a dominant viral strain circulating in the community. About half of the patients in outpatient and inpatients between December, 2022 and March, 2023, had influenza due to A (H3N2) subtype, the surveillance said.

Almost all such patients had visited the outpatients of nursing homes, clinics and government hospitals with fever, cough and even symptoms of pneumonia. “From our experience in the past during pandemic, even Covid-19 was self-limiting and there was no specific treatment modality. Almost all the viral diseases are self-limiting and they recover on their own,” says Superintendent, Gandhi Hospital, Dr M Raja Rao.

Before Covid pandemic, epidemiological studies, observations by experts and secondary data analysis of influenza A (H1N1) positive cases has given a clear indication that people in Hyderabad and districts have to be cautious from influenza outbreaks twice a year, once from December-February and the second time between July and August.

Important points:

* ICMR surveillance data indicates a rise in influenza infections

* Cases of Influenza A (H1N1) and (H3N2) rise since December 15
* Persistent cough, fever, body aches, symptoms of pneumonia like chest pain etc

* Almost all such cases were self-limiting and patients recovered