The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that a two-and-a-half-year-old Australian girl has tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus. The child required intensive care treatment after returning from a trip to India.
According to the WHO statement, this marks the first confirmed human infection of avian influenza A(H5N1) reported in Australia. While the source of exposure to the virus remains unknown, it is believed to have occurred during the girl’s travels to India, where this group of viruses has been previously detected in birds.
The girl, who traveled to Kolkata from February 12 to 29, did not have any known exposure to sick individuals or animals during her time in the city. Upon returning to Australia on March 1, she was admitted to a hospital in the southeastern Victoria state the following day.
After her condition worsened, she was transferred to an intensive care unit in Melbourne on March 4, where she remained for one week before being discharged after two and a half weeks. Tests conducted during her hospitalization confirmed the presence of influenza A, and further analysis in April revealed the subtype A(H5N1) virus.
Although the girl is reported to be in good health, health authorities in both Australia and India have been alerted, with an epidemiological investigation underway in India.
The WHO has assessed the current risk to the general population as low, but the incident highlights the importance of continued vigilance and monitoring of avian influenza strains.
