Lok Sabha Question No. 5512 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-26
Subject: H3N2 Virus
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shashi Tharoor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5512 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH JULY, 2019

## H3N2 VIRUS

## 5512. DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  his  Ministry  maintains  data  for  the  H3N2  virus,  which  is  a  common  and  wid spreading form of influenza in India;
- (b) if so, the details thereof indicating the cases detected and deaths reported due to s isease since 2009, State/UT - wise and year - wise; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)to (c): Influenza, commonly known as the 'flu', is an acute infection of the respiratory tract caused  by  influenza  viruses.  Influenza  A (H1N1)  virus,  now  a  seasonal  influenza  virus  co -circulates  with  other  seasonal  viruses  (namely  influenza  A (H3N2)  and  influenza B  viruses). Government of India doesnot specifically maintain country -wide case data of H3N2 virus.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is actively involved in monitoring and contro the seasonal influenza cases in the country. A netw ork of 12 labor atories under t he Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) is dedicated in its efforts for supporting the influenza surveillance  and  testing  by  Real  time  RT - PCR .  In  addition,  another  network  of  laboratories (VRDL labs) under theI ndian Council of M edical Research (I CMR )is also providing facilities for diagnosis and research for influenza in the country. Most of the labs in these networks are testing and carrying out surveillance for seasonal influenza A ( H3N2 )in addition to Influenza A H1N1.

The laboratories send their data to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and IDSP ,where the data is compiled and analysed for cases confirmed in the laboratories' network. D ata of seasonal Influenza A H3N2 from laboratories under the IDSP lab ne tworkfor the last 3 yearsis given in Annexure.

- …………………..

## Year Wise Samples of H3N2

| S. No.   | IDSP Network Labs   | Year                | Year               | Year                | Year            | Year                | Year            |
|----------|---------------------|---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|
|          |                     |                     |                    | 2018 2019 (till     | 2018 2019 (till | 2018 2019 (till     | 2018 2019 (till |
|          |                     | Total sample tested | 2017 H3N2 positive | Total sample tested | H3N2 positive   | Total sample tested | H3N2 positive   |
| 1        | KMC Manipal         | 17,261              | 1,318              | 11,010              | 508             | 8,298               | 370             |
| 2        | BJ MC Ahmdbd        | 7,103               | 1                  | 3,921               | 5               | 4,995               | -               |
| 3        | NEIGRIHMS Shillong  | 54                  | 1                  | 36                  | 0               | 9                   | -               |
| 4        | HAFFKINE Mumbai     | 1,849               | 438                | 376                 | 23              | 431                 | 26              |
| 5        | IGMC Shimla         | 812                 | 1                  | 243                 | 0               | 1,396               | 2               |
| 6        | NIMHANS Bnglor      | 1,309               | 140                | 1,064               | 191             | 747                 | 173             |
| 7        | JIPMER Puducherry   | 1,280               | 50                 | 684                 | 1               | 504                 | 5               |
| 8        | CRI Kasauli         | 40                  | 0                  | 119                 | 0               | 56                  | -               |
| 9        | IPM Hyderabad       | 13,186              | 0                  | 6,253               | -               | 3,432               | -               |
| 10       | SGPGIMS Lucknow     | 2,469               | 0                  | 396                 | -               | 1,353               | -               |
| 11       | PGIMER Chandigarh   | 1,582               | 0                  | 543                 | -               | -                   | -               |
| 12       | NCDC Delhi          | 4,399               | 0                  | 1,631               | 93              | 4,746               | 6               |

## Annexure