Influenza 2.0: It's no longer just H1N1, now H3N2 too could be in air

Mumbai: Doctors in the city suspect that subtypes of influenza A virus other than H1N1, such as H3N2, could be co-circulating in the air. While places like Pune and Pimpri have had confirmed cases since September, Mumbai physicians say there have been sporadic cases here too.
H3N2 is a variant of influenza A and is a little different from H1N1, previously called swine flu in terms of symptoms.Infectious disease expert Dr Om Srivastava said that he has treated at least 20 cases where patients had symptoms distinct from classic H1N1 but closer to H3N2. "We have sent at least 15 samples to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, over the last few weeks. While none came positive for H3N2, all started improving soon after the first dose of oseltamivir was administered," he said. "The good news is that H3N2 responds just as well to oseltamivir as H1N1."
Curiously, at least a dozen of the suspected patients were pregnant women aged 15-30 years. "Almost all had come with abnormally high blood pressure readings with systolic (blood pressure) levels in some being as high as 220. Their common complaints were headache, sore throat, diarrhoea and shortness of breath," he said, adding that most could be successfully treated and only some required admission. He said abnormal BP readings and stomach symptoms suggested these were not typical H1N1 cases.
A doctor from PD Hinduja Hospital, Mahim, confirmed that several cases of H3N2 have been treated, though none of the patients was extremely sick. "Most were treated on an OPD basis and sent home," said the doctor. He said some tested positive in their own laboratory.
H1N1 has claimed over 376 lives this year in the state. There have been nearly 2,500 confirmed cases, though many more cases in the community. An NIV expert had told TOI previously that co-circulating viruses could be responsible for an increased incidence of respiratory ailments. Doctors say that influenza A is the only type that is broken down into further subtypes by the WHO based on host (animal from where it was first identified), geographical location, year of isolation, among other things.