NEW DELHI: Two persons have died of influenza caused by the H3N2 virus, Union Health Ministry sources said today.
One person has died in Haryana and the other, in Karnataka, according to top reports.
There are around 90 cases of the H3N2 virus in the country. Eight cases of the H1N1 virus have also been reported.
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. Most of the infections are caused by the H3N2 virus, also known as the “Hong Kong flu”.
Only H3N2 and H1N1 infections have been detected in India so far. It is one of the many strains of the influenza virus that can cause illness in humans.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), on the other hand, has advised against the 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, the IMA’s Standing Committee for Anti-Microbial Resistance said.