A two-year-old girl from Narasaraopet town in Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, has succumbed to the H5N1 bird flu virus. According to health officials, the child is believed to have contracted the infection after consuming pieces of raw chicken on February 26.
Initially receiving treatment at a local hospital, she was later transferred to AIIMS Mangalagiri as her condition worsened. By March 4, she exhibited severe symptoms, including high fever, breathing difficulties, and diarrhea. However, tests conducted on her family members, including her parents, came back negative, indicating that the virus did not spread from human to human. Research suggests that bird flu has not shown evidence of human-to-human transmission so far.
Bird Flu Status in the Region
Dr. T. Damodar Naidu from the animal husbandry department confirmed that no other bird flu cases have been detected in Palnadu or neighboring districts. “We carried out physical inspections of all poultry farms in the region and found no signs of bird flu among the birds,” he stated. He also noted that the H5N1 virus cannot survive at temperatures exceeding 60-70 degrees Celsius.
In response to the case, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response team to Andhra Pradesh to monitor and investigate the situation closely.
Health authorities are urging people to avoid consuming raw or undercooked poultry, emphasizing the importance of proper food preparation to prevent infections. The public is advised to remain vigilant against such diseases and follow recommended safety measures to reduce the risk of transmission.
India’s H5N1 Cases in Recent Years
The Andhra Pradesh government stated that only four human cases of avian influenza (H5N1 and H9N2) have been reported in India in the last five years. These include one case each from Maharashtra (June 2019), Haryana (July 2021), and two from West Bengal (April and May 2024).
Prior to this incident, the last fatal H5N1 case in India was recorded in July 2021, when an 11-year-old boy from Gurugram, who was also undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukemia at AIIMS, New Delhi, died after contracting the virus.
