The World Health Organization on Tuesday confirmed that a case of human infection caused by the avian influenza A (H9N2) virus – colloquially known as bird flu – was detected in India, in a four-year-old child from West Bengal, Reuters reported.
This marks the second ever case of human H9N2 infection detected in the country after 2019. The Union health ministry had not commented on the matter as of Wednesday afternoon.
In January, the child had shown symptoms of respiratory illness, high fever and abdominal cramps, reported The Times of India. After being hospitalised on February 2, the child tested positive for influenza B and adenovirus. After the medical treatment, the child was discharged on February 28.
The patient was intubated in a paediatric intensive care unit on March 3 after a recurrence of respiratory illness and tested positive for influenza A infection on March 5. The sub-type of influenza virus, H9N2, was determined on April 26.
The child was discharged on oxygen support on May 1 and has recovered from the infection, The Times of India reported.
The patient was exposed to poultry at home and no symptoms of respiratory illness had been reported among their family and close contacts, the World Health Organization said, citing information provided to it by the Indian National Focal Point for International Health Regulations on May 22.
The National Focal Point is a body designated by India for correspondence with the World Health Organization for the implementation of the International Health Regulations, 2005. This refers to a legal public health framework that is applicable in 196 member states.
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