Influenza cases: Maha reports 217 H3N2 and 407 H1N1 cases in 2023

Image used for representational purpose. Pic/iStock

A release by the Maharashtra government on Thursday showed that the state reported 3,05,243 suspected influenza cases in 2023 (From January 1 to March 19). Among them, 1762 suspected flu patients were given oseltamivir -- an antiviral medication used to treat and prevent influenza A and influenza B, viruses that cause the flu.

It further shows that the number of infected patients of H1N1 and H3N2 during the same period are 407 and 217, respectively. While three deaths are reported due to H1N1 infection, whereas one H3N2 suspected death is also reported.

However, the release added a note saying,"apart from this, 3 suspicious deaths have been reported. Among them 1 death is from Washim, 1 death is from Khadki Cantonment Board and 1 death is from Pune Municipal Corporation. The cause of all these deaths will be ascertained after postmortem."

Also read: Maharashtra: 73-year-old man who tested positive for H3N2 virus dies in Pimpri-Chinchwad

Meanwhile, on Thursday, March 16, a 73-year-old man with comorbidities, who had also tested positive for the H3N2 virus, died in a civic-run hospital in Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial town in Pune district of Maharashtra, health officials from the local municipal corporation said.

As a part of preventive and remedial measures, the release stated that "routine patient survey for covid-19/influenza resident survey instructions have been issued." "Similarly, all District Health Officers, District Surgeons and Medical Health Officers of the state have been instructed by the VC," it read.

The release also mentioned that "flu-like patients are treated without delay according to classification." "Isolation rooms have been set up in government hospitals as well as medical college hospitals in the state," it added.