Want timely info on outbreaks in China: India to WHO
DurgeshNandan.Jha@timesofindia.com 05.01.2025
New Delhi : India has upped its vigil a notch following reports of rising cases of respiratory illnesses in China even as it has asked the World Health Organization to share timely updates regarding the situation in China.
According to the health ministry, a meeting of the Joint Monitoring Group was held under the chairmanship of the DG of health services on Saturday to deliberate on the current situation in the neighboring country and the need for preparedness in India. Experts from WHO, Disaster Management cell, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, National Center for Disease Control, Indian Council of Medical Research, and hospitals, including AIIMS, Delhi participated in the meeting. The experts agreed that the current increase in respiratory illnesses was not unusual in view of the ongoing flu season.
The reports also suggest that the cause of the present surge is influenza virus, RSV and HMPV – the usual pathogens that are expected during the season, health ministry said and added that these viruses are already in circulation globally including India.
"The govt is keeping a close watch over the situation through all available channels and WHO has also been requested to share timely updates regarding the situation in China," the ministry added.
Recently, videos of hospitals in China struggling to manage patients made rounds on social media with some claiming that the crisis was caused by a sudden outbreak of infection caused by the Human Metapneumovirus or HMPV.
“There is news doing the rounds about a Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) outbreak in China which is serious. HMPV is a normal respiratory virus which causes symptoms like cold. Some people can get flu-like symptoms, especially the elderly and infants. But this is not something serious or worrisome,” Dr Atul Goel, the director general of health services, said on Friday.
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