A recent increase in respiratory illnesses in China is a common issue faced by that all countries and Chinese authorities have it under effective control, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) last week requested China provide detailed information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children.
But a WHO official said on Monday that the spike in illnesses in China is not as high as before the COVID-19 pandemic, and reiterated that no new or unusual pathogens had been found in the recent cases.
Amid advisories issued by the central government in response to the pneumonia outbreak in China, there is a growing concern over the escalation of respiratory diseases, particularly Influenza A (H1N1), in India this year. The most recent data released by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) suggests a resurgence of Influenza A (H1N1) cases in certain states in 2023.
As of October 31, there has been a noticeable uptick in cases, particularly in states like Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. In Kerala, there has been a significant surge in Influenza A (H1N1) cases in 2023. After a relatively low count of 7 cases in 2022, the state reported a staggering 909 cases, signalling a substantial rise in infections. The number of deaths also saw an alarming increase from 7 in 2022 to 53 in 2023, the government data showed.
Despite a decline in cases in 2022, Maharashtra is experiencing a slight resurgence in Influenza A (H1N1) cases in 2023. The state reported 215 cases in 2022, and this number increased to 1125 in 2023. However, the death toll remained stable at 25 in both years.
In lieu of to the spread of influenza in China, Madhya Pradesh has now imposed strict restrictions on those traveling abroad. Now monitoring of international travelers will be like the protocols like Covid-19. Random RTPCR test of international passengers coming to the state will be done. Every positive sample will be sent for genome sequencing.
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