Mumbai, Sep 23 (PTI) Maharashtra reported 486 cases of the BA.2.75 sub-variant of the Omicron strain in the first fortnight of September and it was on the rise, a state health department bulletin informed on Friday.

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It, however, added that the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron was on the decline across the state.

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The number of BA.4 cases now stood at 369 and those with BA.2.75 was 1,161, the state health bulletin added.

"During the first fortnight of September, 486 patients of BA.2.75 were found in the state. The latest report also suggests that BA 2.75 sub-variant patients are on the rise, while BA.5 variant numbers, which was earlier the dominant one, seem to be reducing," the bulletin said.

Giving a district wise break-up of BA.2.75 cases, it said Pune recorded 512, Mumbai (393), Nagpur (154), Yavatmal (26), Gadchiroli (23), Chandrapur (20), Solapur (15), Gondia (six), Bhandara (three). Akola, Amravati, Wardha and Washim two cases each and Sangli one.

Of the 369 cases of BA.4 and BA.5, Pune recorded 249, Mumbai (72), Thane (16), Nagpur (10), Raigad (seven), Sangli (six), Palghar (four) and Kolhapur, Wardha, Yavatmal, Solapur, Satara one each, the bulletin added.

BA.4 and BA.5 are sub-variants of Omicron.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)