India Watches China's Rising Respiratory Cases Closely

New Delhi, Saturday - The Union Health Ministry has issued a statement saying that it will continue to monitor the situation closely regarding rising cases of respiratory illnesses in China. A Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) meeting was held on Saturday to discuss the emerging reports, with experts from various agencies including WHO, and hospitals.

According to sources, the Health Ministry acknowledged that there have been reports of an increase in respiratory illness cases in China over the past few weeks. However, after conducting discussions and analyzing available data, the ministry agreed that this spike is not unusual for the current flu season.

The primary cause identified behind the rise in cases was found to be the influenza virus, RSV, and HMPV - typical pathogens expected during the seasonal outbreaks. As a precautionary measure, the number of laboratories testing for HMPV cases will increase, while the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will monitor trends of HMPV throughout the year.

A senior official from the ministry stated that the government is keeping a close eye on the situation through all available channels and WHO has been requested to provide timely updates. "We are taking necessary precautions and monitoring the issue closely," they said.

The experts further pointed out that these viruses, including Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI), have been present globally, including India, over the past few decades. The Indian surveillance system is already robust in detecting respiratory viruses through the ICMR-IDDMP-IHPP networks, with no significant increase reported so far.

Physicians from hospitals have also confirmed that there was a surge in cases related to respiratory illnesses beyond the typical seasonal variations, although all such rises were attributed to HMPV - suggesting nothing alarming about India's current situation.