On June 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that a case of bird flu caused by the H9N2 virus was discovered in a 4-year-old child in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.
The WHO stated that the child was admitted to the local hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) in February due to persistent severe respiratory problems, high fever, and abdominal cramps. The child completed diagnosis and treatment after three months and was discharged. The young patient was exposed to poultry at home and in the surrounding area. There were no reports of respiratory diseases among family members or other contacts. No information was provided about the child’s vaccination or antiviral treatment details.
According to the WHO, this is the second human infection following India’s first case of human H9N2 bird flu in 2019.
The H9N2 virus has a much lower mortality rate than highly pathogenic bird flu and generally causes mild symptoms. However, the WHO reports that there may be more human cases as this is the most widely spread bird flu virus in poultry in various regions. So far, about 100 cases of human H9N2 infection have been confirmed worldwide.