Alert for H3N2 influenza in Himachal Pardesh

The Himachal Pradesh Health Department has sounded a alert of H3N2 influenza after tracing of first case in the Kangra district. The first case of H3N2 influenza has been reported in Pragpur, Kangra, Himachal as a 2.5 yrs old girl has been found infected.  The victim of outbreak hospitalized at Tanda Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Chief Medical Officer Dr.  Sushil Sharma informed about the H3N2 infection in one patient. District Health Department has alerted the concerned officers and employees of all the hospitals to PHC and CHC level. He said that isolation wards are ready in hospitals and no case of H3N2 influenza has been reported earlier in the state.

The District Health Department has issued instructions to the concerned officers and staff from all the hospitals to the PHC and CHC level to expeditiously deal with the disease.  Along with this, isolation wards have been prepared in the hospitals.  It will be necessary to wear a mask, the health department had issued an alert regarding this in the state. Instructions regarding this also been issued to all the CMOs as were alerted to avoid crowded places and wear masks compulsorily.   In view of the high risk of this flu in people with weak immunity, the Health Department has advised them to avoid going to crowded areas.  Social distancing has to be taken care of. Masks and social distancing have been advised in the guideline to prevent this. People have been asked to avoid crowded places.  There is no vaccine for this infection, so people have been asked to follow the  protocol.