Epidemiological, clinical, and virological features of influenza outbreaks in Pune, India, 1980

Abstract

During the course of continuous surveillance of influenza in 1980 in Pune, India, which has a tropical monsoon climate, three outbreaks of acute respiratory infection (ARI) were investigated in March (hot season), in July-September (rainy season), and in November (cold season); sporadic cases during the interepidemic months were also studied. The first outbreak was associated with influenza A virus (H3N2), the second with influenza A viruses (H3N2) and (H1N1) and influenza B virus, but fewer influenza viruses were isolated during the third outbreak. The illnesses affected all age groups including infants and adults over 60 years of age, although the paediatric age group was mainly affected. The ARI outbreaks associated with the hot and cold seasons commenced at about the time the weather changed whereas the mixed influenza A (H3N2) and A(H1N1) outbreaks occurred in the middle of the rainy season.