The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that a four-year-old child in West Bengal, India, has been infected with the H9N2 bird flu virus.
In February, the child was admitted to a local hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) due to severe respiratory issues, high fever, and abdominal cramps. After receiving diagnosis and treatment, the child was discharged three months later.
The WHO reported that the child had been exposed to poultry both at home and in the surrounding environment. Furthermore, none of the child’s family members or other contacts had shown symptoms of respiratory illness.
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Details about the child’s vaccination status and antiviral treatment were not available at the time of the report.
This is the second case of H9N2 bird flu infection in India; the first was in 2019. Although H9N2 typically causes mild illness, the WHO warned that more human cases could occur, as this virus is widespread in poultry in various regions.
The Indian health ministry did not provide an immediate response during late hours.
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