TN Minister seeks to allay fears over spread of influenza A virus

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday said no severe cases were reported in the state, allaying fears of the spread of influenza A virus (H3N2), and appealed to the public not to panic. Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian said the health department has stepped up screening measures across the state to prevent the spread of infection.

"We are conducting over 1,000 medical camps on a day-to-day basis.. we have conducted 1,586 medical camps today and this has been going on over the last few days.. There has been no case of serious illness or requirement of admission into intensive care units (of any government hospital due to influenza).." he told reporters here.

The symptoms reported are throat pain, body cache and people are recovering from mild infections. "There is no need to panic", he stressed.

Asked whether schools would be required to be shut in line with the announcement made by the Puducherry government to, he replied, "such a condition does not arise in Tamil Nadu." "There is no such necessity here. Whatever infections reported in Tamil Nadu were not serious."

The Puducherry government has announced a holiday for all schools up to Class 8 from March 16 to 26 in view of the spread of H3N2 influenza virus in the Union Territory. As many as 476 mobile medical units were pressed into service for medical camps across the state and even if a single infection was reported in a particular village, all those living in the area were screened completely, Subramanian said.