India reports first H3N2 deaths, one each from Karnataka, Haryana

Bengaluru/New Delhi: India has recorded its first two deaths due to the Influenza A subtype H3N2, one each from Karnataka and Haryana, official sources said on Friday.

Ninety cases of H3N2 have been reported over the last three months, they said.

In Karnataka, 82-year-old Hire Gowda died due to the H3N2 virus on March 1, a state health department official said.

"It is confirmed that Hire Gowda, son of Halage Gowda, 82 years, died of H3N2 virus on March 1," the Hassan Disrict Health Officer (DHO) told PTI.

The official said Gowda was a diabetic and suffered from hypertension as well. The patient was admitted to a hospital on February 24 and he died on March 1, and a sample, sent for test, confirmed on March 6 he was infected by the virus, the DHO said.

The sources said another death has been reported from Haryana.