“This is the second infection in humans.” Bird flu A(H9N2) was first reported to WHO from India in 2019. “The child recovered and was discharged from the hospital,” he said.
The patient is a 4-year-old child residing in the state of West Bengal.
According to the World Health Organization, on January 26, the child had a fever and abdominal pain.On February 1, the child was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) of a local hospital due to continued serious illness. difficulty breathingrecurrent high-grade fever and abdominal cramps; The child had had a seizure before this.
The next day, the child tested positive for influenza B and adenovirus at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory of the local public hospital. Due to the recurrence of severe respiratory distress on March 3, he was transferred to another state hospital and was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit and intubated. The World Health Organization said that a nasopharyngeal swab was sent to the Calcutta Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory on March 5 and tested positive for influenza A (unsubtyped) and rhinovirus. “On April 26, the sample was subtyped as influenza A(H9N2) via real-time polymerase chain reaction. On May 1, the patient was discharged from the hospital with oxygen support. Information on vaccination status and details of antiviral treatment was not available at the time of reporting,” the press adds newsletter.
What could have caused this infection?
Exposure to poultry may be a cause of infection. This is the second human infection with avian influenza A(H9N2). virus infection The first one was reported to WHO from India in 2019.
What is H9N2?
H9N2 is a subtype of the Influenza A virus that primarily affects birds but can also infect humans. It is one of the less pathogenic species and usually causes mild to moderate respiratory diseases. Despite its lower pathogenicity, H9N2 is of significant concern due to its potential to recombine with other influenza viruses and potentially give rise to more virulent strains. Although rare cases occur in humans, cases have been reported, usually involving individuals in close contact with poultry.
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