Even as the Union government is keeping a close watch on the seasonal influenza situation across the country, at least two people have died due to influenza H3N2 virus with the total cases of influenza climbing to 3,038, the Union health ministry said on Friday.
However, the government claims that the cases arising from seasonal influenza are expected to decline from the end of March.
Influenza H3N2 is the predominant sub-type among the samples testing positive for influenza, since the beginning of this year and a major cause for current respiratory illness across India, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
However, the prevalence of influenza H1N1 (swine flu) is also noted in parts of the country.
This year, H3N2 is widespread in circulation surpassing covid-19 numbers and has infected thousands of people in the country.
A total of 3,038 laboratory confirmed cases of various subtypes of influenza including H3N2 have been reported till 9 March, as per the latest data available on the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network. While 1,245 cases were reported in January, 1,307 and 486 cases were reported in February and March, respectively.
