PUDUCHERRY: Amidst rising cases of H3N2, the dominant strain of Influenza A, the Puducherry government has declared holidays for schools in the Union Territory for 11 days from March 16 to 26 in order to prevent the spread of the flu.
Making this announcement in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Puducherry Education Minister A Namassivayam said that the holidays are for students from Primary to class VIII for all schools including aided and private schools in all four regions of the UT.
He said that the Health Department has submitted a report to Chief Minister N Rangasamy (who is also the Health Minister), stating concerns about children being most vulnerable to the flu. Based on this report the decision to suspend classes has been taken, said Namassivayam.
This comes as the UT reported 99 cases of Influenza since January 1. The majority of the cases numbering 47 are among children aged one to 19 years, while 39 cases have been reported in the 20 to 49 years age category, according to the report provided by Director of Health and Family Welfare Dr G Sriramulu.
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This comes as the UT reported 99 cases of Influenza virus in the past two weeks. The majority of the cases numbering 47 are among children aged one to 19 years, while 39 cases have been reported in the 20 to 49 years age category, according to the report provided by Director of Health and Family Welfare Dr G Sriramulu.
In the last four days up to March 13, as many as 13 cases have been reported with 11 admitted to hospitals, including five paediatric cases, he said.
Seasonal Influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses that circulate in all parts of the world, and the cases are seen to increase during certain months globally.
Every year, India witnesses two seasonal influenza peaks - one from January to March and the other in the post-monsoon season.
The Health Ministry advised people to take Oseltamivir, which WHO has recommended, to treat symptoms caused by the influenza virus. The drug is made available through the Public Health System free of cost.
The government allowed the sale of Oseltamivir under Schedule H1 of the Drug and Cosmetic Act in February 2017 for broader accessibility and availability, the ministry said.
According to an advisory issued by the Indian Council of Medical Council (ICMR), H3N2 appears to cause more hospitalisations than other influenza subtypes. Of the hospitalised patients with H3N2, about 92 per cent presented with fever, 86 per cent with cough, 27 per cent with breathlessness, and 16 per cent with wheezing.