WHO reports that a person in Australia with H5N1 bird flu had recently visited Kolkata

A 2.5-year-old girl from Australia has been confirmed as the first human case of H5N1 bird flu in the country, weeks after her return from Kolkata, India. The World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that the child had traveled to Kolkata from Feb. 12 to Feb. 19 and returned to Australia on March 1. The girl was hospitalized on March 2 and remained there for over two weeks.

Genetic sequencing confirmed that the virus was subtype H5N1, part of a strain circulating in Southeast Asia and previously detected in human infections and poultry. The WHO emphasized that H5N1 viruses do not transmit efficiently between humans, suggesting a potential animal exposure led to the infection.

The child’s symptoms began on Feb. 25, with loss of appetite, irritability, and fever. She was taken to a doctor in India on Feb. 28, where she was febrile, coughing, and vomiting. Despite her illness, it was not reported to Australian airport biosecurity officers upon her return on March 1.

Experts, including Amesh Adalja from Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, stressed the importance of investigating the child’s contact with poultry or birds and any nearby outbreaks of H5N1. The WHO reported that the girl, who had no underlying conditions, is now clinically well after being discharged from the hospital following a 2.5-week admission.

The case highlights the global nature of infectious diseases and the need for vigilance in monitoring and preventing the spread of potentially deadly viruses like H5N1.