A four-year-old child in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal has been diagnosed with a case of bird flu-induced human illness, according to the World Health Organization on Tuesday.
Following diagnosis and treatment, the patient was released from the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) of a nearby hospital three months after being admitted in February for persistently severe respiratory problems, a high fever, and abdominal cramps, according to the WHO.
The agency stated that the patient was exposed to poultry both at home and in his surroundings, and that none of his family members or other contacts were known to have reported respiratory sickness symptoms.
The WHO noted that at the time of reporting, details regarding antiviral therapy and immunization status were not available.
The H9N2 avian flu from India has infected humans twice, the first time being in 2019, according to the agency.
Although most cases of the H9N2 virus are mild, the United Nations organization warned that more isolated human cases could arise because this virus is one of the most common avian influenza viruses that infect poultry in many parts of the world.
It was late in the evening and there was no quick response from the Indian health ministry.
