Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 3: The Union government on Tuesday confirmed that surveillance of respiratory illnesses across the country has shown no abnormal increase in influenza cases, reassuring that the situation remains well under control.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda chaired a high-level review meeting in the national capital to assess the current trends in influenza and overall preparedness of health systems. Officials from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) briefed the Minister that influenza activity continues to remain low both in India and globally.
Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava explained that India typically witnesses two seasonal peaks of influenza—during the monsoon months of August to October and again in the winter season between January and March.
During the review, Nadda enquired whether the circulating strains indicated any deviation from historical patterns. Experts clarified that the prevalent strains continue to be the regular seasonal variants — H3N2 and Influenza B (Victoria), with a minor presence of H1N1.
Officials also highlighted the near real-time surveillance mechanisms that are in place, including:
• Monitoring of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases under IDSP
• Event-based surveillance using AI-driven media scanning
• Respiratory pathogen surveillance through ICMR’s sentinel network
“All systems currently show no signs of any unusual surge in influenza cases,” the Minister was updated.
NCDC Director Prof (Dr) Ranjan Das informed that a two-day national ‘Chintan Shivir on Influenza’ will be held later this month to further strengthen public health strategies.
Appreciating the preparedness measures, Nadda directed a comprehensive review involving state nodal officers, district hospitals and medical colleges to ensure readiness. He also advised issuing an advisory to all States and Union Territories and conducting regular mock drills at health facilities.
The Minister reiterated that India remains well-prepared and vigilant to respond effectively to any rise in respiratory illnesses.