Swine flu cases rise sharply in Delhi, emergency meeting called
Delhi has recorded around 3,000 influenza cases this year, including 2,308 H1N1 infections, with isolation wards set up across hospitals.
A sharp rise in swine flu cases in Delhi has prompted Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to call an emergency meeting to review the situation.
Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said the situation remained under control, with adequate doctors, medical staff and medicines available at hospitals across the capital.
Delhi has recorded around 3,000 influenza cases this year, including 2,308 H1N1 infections, commonly known as swine flu, Singh told reporters.
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"There is no shortage of doctors, staff or medicines. The chief minister has called an emergency review meeting. I assure you there is no problem, everything is under control," he said.
Singh said isolation wards had been set up at hospitals across Delhi, which has a population of more than two crore.
Common symptoms of swine flu include fever, fatigue, cough, sore throat, headache and breathing difficulties.
Doctors say older people, pregnant women and those with chronic illnesses are at greater risk of developing severe complications from the infection.
Secretary of India's Department of Health Research and Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research Rajiv Bahl said the country's current influenza situation is being continuously monitored and there is no cause for alarm.
He said the influenza viruses currently circulating in India are consistent with the seasonal pattern observed in recent years.
The circulating H1N1 viruses have been identified as A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1) pdm09-like viruses, a lineage that has been in continuous circulation in India since 2025.
According to Bahl, the genetic changes observed in the viruses are consistent with the normal antigenic drift seen in seasonal influenza. Such minor genetic changes occur routinely as influenza viruses circulate and, by themselves, do not indicate the emergence of a new or dangerous strain.
Seasonal influenza, including Influenza A (H1N1), is predominantly a mild and self-limiting respiratory illness among otherwise healthy people, he said.
