WEST BENGAL (India): The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday (June 11) said that a case of human infection with bird flu caused by the H9N2 virus was detected in a four-year-old child in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.
The patient was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit of a local hospital due to persistent severe respiratory issues, high fever and abdominal cramps in February.
He was discharged three months later after diagnosis and treatment, the WHO said.
The patient had exposure to poultry at home and in his surroundings, the agency said.
It added that no other person in his family and in contact with him reported symptoms of respiratory illness.
This is the second human infection of H9N2 bird flu in India, with the first in 2019, the WHO said.
While the H9N2 virus typically cause mild illness, the UN agency said that more sporadic human cases could occur as this virus is one of the most prevalent avian influenza viruses circulating in poultry in different regions.
An immediate response from the Indian health ministry was not available. – Reuters