Chandigarh, August 23: Punjab has recorded 93 confirmed H1N1 cases since late July, with Ludhiana emerging as the worst-affected district amid a wider rise in seasonal influenza infections across the country, officials said on Saturday.
Health minister Dr Balbir Singh said the increase was in line with the seasonal influenza pattern and that only a proportion of patients had so far required hospitalisation.
“It is like seasonal influenza. Cases are on the rise throughout the country and Punjab is no exception,” Singh said. “We have already established isolation wards in government hospitals. Teams are on the ground and surveillance has also been increased.”
The current tally marks a significant increase from last year. According to Union health ministry data, Punjab had reported only seven swine flu cases up to the end of September 2025.
Ludhiana has accounted for the largest share of the latest infections. Doctors at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) said they had noticed an increase in patients reporting seasonal influenza and other viral illnesses.
The trend is also consistent with the district’s recent history. A study tracking H1N1 infections in Punjab found that Ludhiana recorded the highest number of cases in the state in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Doctors in other parts of Punjab have also reported an increase in influenza-like symptoms. A doctor at Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala said more patients were presenting with fever, cough, body ache and other symptoms associated with viral infections.
Meanwhile, the National Centre for Disease Control has issued technical guidelines to states covering patient categorisation, home-based care, clinical management, sample collection and laboratory testing for H1N1.
H1N1, commonly called swine flu, is a strain of Influenza A virus that primarily causes respiratory infection. Typical symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, body ache, headache, chills and fatigue.
Most otherwise healthy people recover with rest and symptomatic treatment, health experts said. However, the infection can become more serious among young children, elderly people, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions.
Experts have advised people experiencing persistent or severe respiratory symptoms to seek medical attention, particularly if they develop breathing difficulty or other warning signs.
Punjab health department state nodal officer Dr Manmeet Kaur did not respond to repeated messages seeking details of the latest statewide surveillance data.
