A sharp rise in H1N1 influenza cases has been observed in Delhi this monsoon. Reports suggest that cases have spiked nearly six-fold compared with the same period last year. Data reveals that Delhi has recorded 1,349 H1N1 cases so far in 2026, compared with 229 cases during the same period last year. According to PTI, Delhi’s Health Minister Pankaj Singh has assured that government hospitals are “fully prepared” to handle patients. H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, is a highly contagious respiratory infection. It is caused by a specific strain of the Influenza A virus. H1N1 was first identified in 2009 during a global pandemic but has since become part of the seasonal flu virus pool. According to the World Health Organisation, before the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, the influenza A (H1N1) virus had never been identified as a cause of infections in people. Since then, H1N1 continues to circulate as a seasonal virus.