China's Respiratory Illness Spike Under Scrutiny as India Closely Monitors Situation
Kathmandu, Nepal - A joint monitoring group meeting was held on Saturday to discuss a surge in respiratory illnesses reported in China, prompting concerns among global health experts.
According to the Health Ministry of India, the country is intensively watching the situation, and surveillance data indicates no unprecedented spike in respiratory cases. Chaired by Directorate General of Health Services Dr Atul Goel, the high-level discussion was informed that while the rise in China could be attributed to influenza viruses, such as the flu virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which are common during seasonal outbreaks.
A government statement assured that these airborne pathogens have a global presence and India has a well-established surveillance system in place to track influenza-like illnesses and severe acute respiratory cases. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been sought for prompt updates, underscoring its crucial role in keeping an eye on international health trends.
Physicians from hospitals corroborated the statement, pointing out that there is no notable rise in cases over recent weeks. Drs at major hospitals across the nation said that samples had tested negative, pointing to widespread low rates of this type of illness within their facilities.
It was also revealed that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been extensively testing for various airborne pathogens such as adenovirus and RSV, with no unusual rise in either. As an additional precautionary measure, it said ICMR would be ramping up lab tests for HMPV to further track trends throughout the calendar year.
Participating experts from key departments of health at both national and international levels included officials from AIIMS-Delhi hospitals as well as representatives of WHO, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Disaster Management Cell, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) among others.