The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed a human case of avian influenza A H9N2 in India. This was reported by the National Focal Point on 22 May, as required under the International Health Regulations. The patient is a 4-year-old boy from West Bengal who has since recovered and been discharged from the hospital.
This is the second reported human infection with avian influenza A H9N2 in India, following a case in 2019. According to the WHO, the child had previously been diagnosed with hyperreactive airway disease and developed fever and abdominal pain on 26 January. He later experienced convulsions on 29 January and was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit on 1 February due to severe breathing difficulty, high fever, and abdominal cramps. The boy was diagnosed with post-infectious bronchiolitis caused by viral pneumonia and tested positive for influenza B and adenovirus.
The child was discharged from the hospital on 28 February but was readmitted on 3 March for a respiratory relapse and intubated. On 5 March, a nasopharyngeal swab tested positive for influenza A (not subtyped) and rhinovirus, which later confirmed to be influenza A virus H9N2. It is believed that the child had been exposed to poultry around his home but no respiratory symptoms were reported among his contacts.
The WHO warns that further human cases of this virus may occur sporadically as it is one of the most widespread avian influenza viruses circulating in poultry in various regions. It is important for healthcare providers to be aware of this virus and its potential risks to humans, as well as take necessary precautions when treating patients who may have been exposed to it.
