Bird Flu Virus: 4-Year-Old Child Infected By The H9N2 Virus In Bengal, How Dangerous Is This Virus?

The bird flu outbreak, after Kerala, has now hit West Bengal. A shocking case emerges as a child falls victim to the bird flu virus. The World Health Organisation reports that a four-year-old child in West Bengal has been found infected with the H9N2 virus strain. Following this incident, health authorities and the Department of Animal Resources have been alerted by the WHO. Intensive surveillance is being conducted in the area. The principal secretary of the department, Narayan Swaroop Nigam, stated that there have been no reports of any new infections until Wednesday. 

Preliminary reports state that a H9N2 bird flu virus strain has infected a four-year-old child in West Bengal. The child's condition became critical, and they had to admit him to the hospital. The child was admitted to the hospital in February because of severe fever, abdominal pain, and respiratory problems. The child was later found to have bird flu. It was later discovered that there was a poultry farm in the patient's home. It is therefore likely that the child's bird flu virus began there. The child was in critical condition when they were admitted to the hospital's paediatric intensive care nit. For the past three months, treatment has been going on. However, no symptoms of illness have been observed in any other members of the child's family.

However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that ignoring this issue entirely would not be advisable. 

After the publication of the World Health Organisation's report, for the second time in the country, a human infection with the H9N2 bird flu virus has been observed. Previously, in 2019, an Indian human was diagnosed with it. The re-emergence of this incident after five years is causing concern.

Last month, Mexico experienced its first bird flu-related death. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a 59-year-old man became infected with a fever in April. Within a few days, vomiting, respiratory distress, and diarrhoea were reported. For three weeks, he remained seriously ill, and on April 24, he passed away.