The infections recorded in the country involve two teenagers from Santa Cruz and a child from CABA
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Argentina confirmed the detection of the first cases of a new subvariant of seasonal flu, known as "Flu K", which had already triggered health alerts in other regions of the world.
The National Administration of Laboratories and Health Institutes (ANLIS) "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán" reported that three cases of influenza A(H3N2) corresponding to subclade K were identified, a variant that is characterized by genetic changes associated with a greater transmission capacity.
According to what was revealed, the infections recorded in the country involve two adolescents residing in the province of Santa Cruz and a child hospitalized in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Nevertheless, the authorities specified that none of the patients experienced clinical complications associated with the infection.
Una persona enferma.
The detection of these cases occurred within the framework of the national epidemiological surveillance system, which remains active and within the usual parameters for this time of year. The agency indicated that the monitoring of respiratory viruses remains at expected levels, without any unusual increase so far in severe cases linked to influenza.
The diagnosis was carried out through the National Network of Laboratories and Sentinel Units, with subsequent confirmation by the National Reference Laboratory of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (INEI-ANLIS). The identification of the subclade was made possible by genomic sequencing techniques, which allowed the classification of the detected viruses within the so-called subclade K.
ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán" emphasized that, based on the evidence available so far, this variant is not associated with more severe clinical cases compared with other influenza A(H3N2) viruses that circulated in previous seasons. In that regard, they indicated that the clinical behavior observed in the cases detected in Argentina was similar to that of other seasonal flu infections.
The first infected individuals
Regarding the patients' progress, the authorities detailed that the child diagnosed in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires required hospitalization, although the child went through the illness without complications.
Un virus.
Meanwhile, the two adolescents from Santa Cruz were evaluated within the Outpatient Monitoring of Acute Respiratory Infections. The provincial health authorities are in charge of the epidemiological investigation of each case and the coordination of the corresponding care, in coordination with the national surveillance system.
The spread of Flu K
The emergence of these local infections is occurring in an international context marked by the spread of the H3N2 flu subclade K. This subvariant, technically known as J.2.4.1, was initially identified in Asia and later spread to Europe and North America. Its greater transmissibility led various countries to strengthen epidemiological controls, given the risk of community spread.
In South America, the circulation of subclade K has already been recently confirmed in countries such as Peru, Chile, and Bolivia, which increased the attention of regional health authorities in the face of the possibility of new imported cases and local transmission.
Although it is considered a particularly contagious variant, health agencies agree that it doesn't present greater clinical severity compared with other already known seasonal influenza strains.
