New Delhi, November 26 (IANS). The world is once again struggling with a new form of flu. This time the subject of discussion is ‘Subclade K’, the emerging strain of H3N2 flu, which has caused a sudden surge in cases in the UK and Canada. As technical as this name sounds, it has actually become a matter of concern because this variant is spreading unusually and has increased the pressure on hospitals in some countries. Japan’s health ministry had to declare flu an official epidemic across the country about a month ago. Flu season in Japan usually peaks later, but this time infections were on the rise from September-October. Schools had to be temporarily closed in many provinces. According to British public health experts, flu infections have increased prematurely and rapidly this season. This subclade ‘K’ is a major reason for increasing absenteeism rates in schools, hospitalization among the elderly and groups found together in many cities. Canada has also seen an increase in flu test positivity rates in recent weeks, faster than in previous years. The country’s health officials say this strain has spread rapidly even among young people, making control difficult. Compared to H1N1 viruses (the respiratory infection known as swine flu), H3N2 viruses are often associated with more severe symptoms. These may include high fever, fatigue, severe body aches, sore throat, chills, runny or stuffy nose, and vomiting or diarrhea. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of hospitalizations due to influenza in the US is the highest since 2010. Experts are concerned that subclade ‘K’ could lead to more cases and deaths. CDC also says that vaccination has decreased this year as well. Cameron Wolfe, a professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at Duke University, told media outlet The Hill: “It’s not necessarily showing any signs of being more serious. I think it escaped our previous immunity to some extent, and that’s probably why we’re seeing more of them than we normally would at the beginning of the season.” Experts say this is part of ‘genetic drift’—the flu virus undergoes small changes every year, and when the changes become significant, the risk of infection increases because the previous immunity is no longer fully effective. Subclade ‘K’ is also part of this series, but its specialty is that this variant emerged almost at the same time in many countries, due to which global health agencies also woke up. There are currently mixed signals about the effectiveness of the vaccine. Scientists say this year’s flu shots offer reasonable protection against this strain, but they also believe its high infectivity indicates the importance of increasing vaccine coverage. In countries where the vaccination rate is low, this wave may increase further. This trend is also like a warning for India. Seasonal flu cases here often peak in winter and spring, and the global trend usually trails South Asia by several weeks. Flu strains enter the country quickly due to air travel, student exchange programs and international travel. In general, subclade ‘K’ is not a ‘super flu’, but its rapidly increasing presence shows that taking flu lightly can be costly. The world is on high alert for Covid, but the flu virus is a constant reminder that the next threat can emerge in any season – and preparation must be better than before each time. –IANS KR/