Influenza and leptospirosis have emerged as major killers in Kerala this season

Influenza and leptospirosis have emerged as major killers in Kerala this season, with the two diseases claiming a combined death toll of nearly 300 in the state.

As of Sept. 15, the state has reported 10,244 cases of the flu — which includes primarily A H1N1, A H2N3 and influenza B — and 109 deaths from the infection, a sharp increase from previous years. The number of confirmed leptospirosis deaths in the state reached 100 on September 15, in addition to 78 probable leptospirosis deaths. However, health officials say the number is lower compared to previous years.

The number of flu cases has been steadily rising across the country this year, with nearly every state reporting a spike in influenza A (H1N1) cases. Unpredictable weather patterns, high temperature and humidity, and possible mutations of seasonal flu viruses may have contributed to this spike in cases.

The number of H1N1 cases in Kerala has been on the rise since the past few months and has claimed a disproportionately high number of lives among the elderly, leading public health experts to demand that the government invest in flu vaccination for the elderly.

Influenza presents as a common cold with fever, chills, sore throat, cough and myalgia (body aches), but it can turn out to be a serious illness among vulnerable populations. The Department of Health’s ABC guidelines for H1N1 influenza A do not recommend routine testing for mild cases, and now only those presenting to hospital outpatient departments with severe symptoms are tested. Thus, the official number reported by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program does not reflect the actual number of cases in the community.

“The virus spreads easily through respiratory tracts and surfaces contaminated by an infected person. Therefore, people visiting hospitals with flu symptoms should definitely wear masks and practice respiratory hygiene, otherwise hospitals can become major transmission points,” says a health official.

Patients with mild fever and cold symptoms do not require testing or oseltamivir and can be managed with home isolation and supportive care. However, pregnant women and women with high fever, persistent symptoms, and other illnesses should see a doctor and start Oseltamivir early.

The red flags are shortness of breath, chest pain and low oxygen saturation and these are the patients who would need hospitalization and intensive care.

Doctors advise people not to self-medicate and to stay at home if symptoms worsen or do not go away, as early treatment with oseltamivir can make a huge difference. In the private sector, doctors advise the elderly and patients with comorbidities to opt for the annual flu vaccine if they can afford it, as the vaccine can reduce the likelihood of infection and, even if infected, can prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death.

In the case of leptospirosis, late diagnosis and rapid disease progression continued to claim lives. Because the symptoms of the disease overlap with those of any viral fever in the early days, peripheral physicians are now told to start doxycycline in all cases of fever without respiratory symptoms, as doxycycline has been found to be effective at any point in the illness.

Despite health recommendations, people for whom the disease could pose an occupational risk – farmers, manual cleaners, gardeners or dairy farmers – continue to ignore the guideline for proper doxycycline prophylaxis. It is emphasized that local government bodies should necessarily provide protective equipment to these categories of workers

Published – 17 Sep 2026 07:00 IST