- Recently, there has been a sharp rise in cases and deaths from H1N1 influenza. The data on H1N1 cases has been collected by Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, National Centre of Disease Control, Delhi.
- Influenza is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus belonging to the family Orthomyxoviridae. Influenza viruses are divided into three broad categories A, B and C on the basis of their core proteins. Only types A and B cause human disease of any concern. H1N1 flu is a variety of influenza A.
- H1N1 virus had caused the 2009 pandemic (swine flu pandemic). It has become a regular human flu virus and continues to circulate seasonally worldwide.
- The Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) is a disease surveillance programme under the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs. It was launched in 2004. It aims at early detection and response to disease outbreaks. It seeks to maintain decentralized laboratory based IT enabled disease surveillance system for epidemic prone diseases.
- The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is an institute under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- The functions of NCDC are: a) undertaking investigations of disease outbreaks across India, b) investigating and recommending control measures for the outbreak of various communicable diseases in the States/UTs in India. It also investigates and recommends measures to some neighbouring countries in the South East Asia Region. c) Providing referral diagnostic services to individuals, community, medical colleges, research institutions and state health directorates.
