Human case of bird flu detected in India: Should we be worried?

The avian flu continues to surprise people by spreading in novel ways.

This time, a case of human infection with bird flu caused by H9N2 was detected in India.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Tuesday that a four-year-old child from West Bengal was diagnosed with bird flu in late January this year.

Notably, this is the second human infection of H9N2  bird  flu  from India, with the first in 2019, the agency said.

Here’s all we know about the case from Bengal.

The human case of bird flu in India

The child was first taken to the hospital with fever, abdominal cramps and later seizures, according to The Indian Express.

The patient was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (ICU) of a local hospital due to persistent severe respiratory issues, high fever and abdominal cramps.

In February, the child was finally discharged but was re-admitted on 3 March due to severe respiratory distress.

The National Institute of Virology received a swab sample that was collected, and the virus was subtyped as H9N2.

On 1 May, the patient was eventually allowed to leave the hospital while receiving oxygen support.

The patient had exposure to poultry at home and in his surroundings, and there were no known person reporting symptoms of respiratory illness among his family and other contacts, the agency said, as per Reuters.

Information on the vaccination status and details of antiviral treatment were not available at the time of reporting, the WHO added.

The case in Mexico

Last week, the WHO reported the first laboratory-confirmed human case of infection with A(H5A2) avian influenza in Mexico.

In a press conference in Geneva, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier described the man’s case as a “multifactorial death” and noted that experts were still investigating whether he was infected by someone or by contact with animals, as per Reuters.

However, Mexico’s health minister said on Friday, a man who contracted bird flu died due to chronic diseases and not the virus.

The health ministry on Friday stressed that the 59-year-old man’s death was due to chronic conditions that led to septic shock and was not attributed to the virus.

“The diseases were long-term and caused conditions that led to the failure of several organs,” the ministry said, citing the findings by a team of experts.

The man had chronic kidney disease, diabetes and arterial hypertension over the past 14 years, according to health officials.

The ministry added that there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of the A(H5N2) virus stemming from the case.

A matter of concern

The WHO anticipates sporadic occurrences of the infection due to the virus’s circulating presence in poultry.

The avian influenza A(H9N2) virus typically infects humans when they come into contact with contaminated settings or infected birds. In general, the risk assessment conducted by the intergovernmental agency indicates that these infections cause mild clinical disease.

Even though the H9N2 virus often only causes moderate illness, the United Nations organisation stated that because it is one of the most common avian influenza viruses that has spread to poultry in many countries, there may occasionally be human cases.

Two additional deaths linked to the virus have been reported from all around the world.

The WHO also stated that the information available at this time points to the virus not having developed the capacity to spread from person to person.

Furthermore, it is believed that a case of bird flu reported by Australia contracted the virus in Kolkata in February of this year.

However, the virus strains in the two cases differ—H5N1 in the Australian case and H9N2 in the Indian case—signaling distinct origins of infection.

Bird flu

A bird influenza (flu) Type A virus infection is the cause of bird flu, commonly known as avian influenza, reported NDTV.

According to the WHO, humans can contract it, but animals are the usual hosts.

Direct contact with infected animals or indirect interaction with polluted environments are the two ways that the virus spreads. “Depending on the original host, influenza A viruses can be classified as avian influenza, swine influenza, or other types of animal influenza viruses,” says the WHO.

From minor upper respiratory tract infections to more serious illnesses, the infection may result in many diseases.

In addition, encephalitis, encephalopathy, gastrointestinal symptoms, and conjunctivitis are other signs and symptoms of an infection with the Avian Influenza virus.

According to the WHO, infection with the avian influenza virus can also be fatal.

Scientists have been on alert for changes in the virus that could signal it is adapting to spread more easily among humans.

This is especially after it was revealed that three US dairy farm workers had contracted highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1).

Prevention

The World Health Organisation advises people to limit their contact with animals in regions where animal influenza viruses are known to be prevalent, such as farms and locations where live animals are sold or killed, to avoid getting infected.

To prevent contracting the virus, it’s crucial to practise good personal hygiene and hand hygiene, which includes washing your hands with soap both before and after you interact with animals.

With inputs from agencies