The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that a case of human infection with the H9N2 bird flu virus was identified in a four-year-old child in West Bengal.
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 a diagnosis and treatment, the child was discharged three months later, according to the WHO.
The organization noted that the child had been exposed to poultry both at home and in the surrounding area. However, there were no reports of respiratory illness symptoms among the child’s family members or other contacts.
The WHO also mentioned that information regarding the child’s vaccination status and details of antiviral treatment were unavailable at the time of reporting.
This marks the second human case of H9N2 bird flu in India, the first being reported in 2019. Although the H9N2 virus typically causes mild illness, the United Nations agency warned that further sporadic human cases could occur due to the virus’s prevalence in poultry across various regions.