Shillong, March 14: A woman in Gujarat died of H3N2 influenza even as she was undergoing treatment for the same at a hospital in Vadodara.
This was the seventh death in India due to H3N2 which has spread across the country during the recent past. The first victim of the virus was an 82-year-old man from Harnataka.
There has been a spurt in cases of H3N2 since January this year. From January 2 to January 5 a total of 451 cases of the virus were reported in the country. Since then the doctors were witnessing a beeline of patients suffering from cold, sore throat and fever which are symptoms of H3N2 influenza.
The Union Ministry of Health is keeping a close watch on the situation and Indian Medical Association (IMA) has already issued an advisory for the doctors regarding prescription of medicines for the virus.
The ICMR recently issued an advisory asking people to avoid self-medication and use of antibiotics in this influenza outbreak. H3N2 is a virus that is generally found in pigs but also infects humans. Its symptoms are similar to seasonal fly.
However patients suffering from bronchial diseases have been advised to keep themselves safe from the virus by wearing masks and adhering to social distance.
