INFLUENZA A H3N2 VIRUS - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
News: ICMR has told that rising cases of cough and
fever linked to influenza subtype A H3N2
What is in the news?
● Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR) announced that the recent uptick in the cases of intense cough lasting for over a week
coupled with fever, in several parts of India, can be linked to the
Influenza A subtype H3N2 virus.
● India
has recorded deaths of two people, one each in Karnataka and Haryana, due to
the Influenza A subtype H3N2 virus.
H3N2 Virus:
● Influenza
viruses, which cause the infectious disease known as flu, are of four different types: A, B, C and D.
● Influenza
A is further classified into different subtypes and one of them is the H3N2.
● According
to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), H3N2
caused the 1968 flu pandemic that led to the death of around one million people
globally and about 100,000 in the US.
Symptoms:
● Its
symptoms are similar to that of any other flu.
● They
include cough, fever, body ache and
headache, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose and extreme fatigue.
● Nausea,
vomiting and diarrhoea have been seen in very few cases.
Infectious Period:
● According
to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), an infection caused by H3N2 generally lasts for five to seven days and the
fever starts going away after three days.
● However,
the coughing can persist for up to three weeks.
Vulnerable Group:
● As
per the IMA, this virus usually preys on individuals
below the age of 15 years or above 50 years of age.
● Children
and those with co-morbidities like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, weakened
immune systems and neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions are at a
higher risk.
Prevention:
● Self-hygiene
is the best way to thwart the spread of H3N2.
● Washing
hands before eating or touching your face, nose or mouth, carrying pocket sanitizer,
and avoiding people already infected with the virus or any other seasonal flu
are some of the steps.