India reports first H3N2 influenza deaths

First deaths have been reported in India due to the influenza caused by the H3N2 virus, the Indian government said today.

Two persons – one in Haryana and the other in Karnataka – have died due to H3N2 virus, reports in the Indian media said on Friday quoting government sources.

An 85-year-old man in Karnataka is believed to be the first to die of H3N2 in the country. Hire Gowda was admitted to hospital on February 24 and died on March 1, NDTV quoted officials as saying.

The Haryana 56-year-old man was a lung cancer patient who had tested positive for H3N2 in January. He died on Wednesday at his home in Jind, as per media reports.

Around 90 cases of the H3N2 virus have been reported in the country. Eight cases of the H1N1 virus have also been detected.

Only H3N2 and H1N1 infections have been detected in India so far. Both have symptoms similar to Covid, which infected millions across the world and caused 6.8 million deaths.