Influenza A subtype H3N2: Karnataka govt calls meeting with experts

A meeting has been called by the Karnataka government with the health department officials and experts on March 6, to discuss the preventive measures to be taken regarding the spread of Influenza A subtype ‘H3N2’. This comes in the wake of the Union health ministry communicating to the state to pay attention to this issue.

Addressing reports on Sunday (March 5), Karnataka health minister K Sudhakar said the Centre’s guidelines in this regard will be adhered to. On Saturday, the Union health ministry had communicated to them (the state) to pay attention to H3N2, he said.

“Our health commissioner and principal secretary have held discussions regarding this. A meeting has been called tomorrow regarding the precautionary measures to be taken,” Sudhakar added.

“As of now, there are no such cases reported in Karnataka, but according to initial reports one of the symptoms is persistent cough,” he said, adding that the kind of measures to be taken when such cases come in, and treatment methods to be adopted, will be discussed in tomorrow’s meeting along with experts, and the Centre’s guidelines will be followed.

Also read: Influenza cases with Covid-like symptoms surge across India

A persistent cough, sometimes accompanied by fever, which has been prevalent in India for the past two-three months, is because of the Influenza A subtype H3N2, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) experts have said.

The H3N2, which has been in wide circulation for the past two-three months, causes more hospitalisations than other subtypes, said ICMR scientists, who keep a close watch on ailments caused by respiratory viruses through the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories network.

They have also suggested a list of do’s and don’ts for people to follow and protect themselves from contracting the virus.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), on the other hand, has advised against indiscriminate use of antibiotics amid rising cases of cough, cold and nausea across the country. Seasonal fever will last five to seven days, it noted.

The fever goes away at the end of three days, but the cough can persist for up to three weeks, said the IMA’s standing committee for anti-microbial resistance.