First human case of bird flu in India confirmed as new warning issued
The first human case of H9N2 bird flu in India comes days after the US recorded a third human case of H5N1 linked to dairy cows.
India has detected its first case of a human being infected with bird flu since 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Tuesday.
The patient was admitted to paediatric intensive care in February after experiencing severe respiratory issues, abdominal cramping and high fever.
They remained in hospital for three months undergoing treatment for the H9N2 strain.
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The news comes days after the US confirmed its third human case of bird flu - the H5N1 strain linked to dairy cows - and Australia confirmed its first case, also H5N1.
In April, WHO said a 59-year-old with underlying health conditions became the first Mexican to die of the virus.
They were infected with H5N2 which had never before been detected in humans - though Mexico’s health ministry later contested his cause of death, pointing out that he went into septic shock due to unrelated chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and arterial hypertension.
The Indian patient had been exposed to poultry at home and in his surroundings but his family are not thought to be infected.
India's last human case of H9N2 bird flu occurred in 2019, WHO said.
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - yet to be updated with the case in India - shows there has been 10 cases globally, including one in Vietnam and five in Cambodia.
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The CDC has warned members of the public to avoid consuming raw milk after 83 dairy herds in nine US states were confirmed to be infected with bird flu.
Two of the human infections occurred in Michigan and one in Texas. In each case, the infected worked with cows.
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