First human case of bird flu in India: 4-year-old tests positive for H9N2 virus in West Bengal

First human case of bird flu in India: The World Health Organisation confirmed on Tuesday that a four-year-old child in West Bengal has tested positive for bird flu caused by the H9N2 virus.

The patient was hospitalised in a local hospital's pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) in February due to persistent severe respiratory issues, high fever, and abdominal cramps, but was discharged three months later after being diagnosed and treated, according to the WHO.

The patient was exposed to poultry at home and in his surroundings, and no one in his family or other contacts had reported respiratory sickness symptoms, according to the agency.

The WHO said that no information on vaccination status or antiviral treatment details were available at the time of reporting.

This is India's second human infection with H9N2 bird flu, following the first in 2019, according to the agency.

While the H9N2 virus normally causes mild sickness, the United Nations agency warned that more sporadic human cases could develop because it is one of the most common avian influenza viruses circulating in poultry in various countries.