WHO warns after H9N2 case

The World Health Organization says the public risk from the H9N2 bird-flu case detected in Italy is low, but it told people to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and contaminated environments. (who.int) Italy notified the World Health Organization on March 21 after an adult man who had returned from Senegal was found to have influenza A(H9N2), the first imported human H9N2 case reported in the European Region. He went to an emergency department with fever and a persistent cough, was isolated, and was reported stable and improving by April 9. (who.int) The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said the case was reported in Lombardy and called it the first human H9N2 case recorded in the European Union and European Economic Area. It said 195 human H9N2 cases had been reported worldwide since 1998, with two deaths and no documented person-to-person transmission. (ecdc.europa.eu) Avian influenza is a family of flu viruses that mainly infect birds, but some strains can spill into people after contact with infected poultry or contaminated places such as farms, cages, or droppings. The World Health Organization says these viruses do not currently spread easily between people, but continued circulation in birds gives them chances to change. (who.int) That is why officials track more than one strain at once. H9N2 is usually described as low pathogenic in birds, while H5N1 is highly pathogenic and has driven wider poultry outbreaks and stricter control measures in multiple countries. (who.int 1) (who.int 2) In England and Wales, mandatory housing rules for poultry were lifted on April 9 after a government risk assessment found lower levels of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds and poultry. The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone stayed in force, with legal biosecurity rules such as disinfecting footwear, clothing, vehicles, and equipment still required. (gov.uk) Two days after that change, a new highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak was confirmed in commercial poultry near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, according to trade reporting that cited the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. A 3-kilometer protection zone and 10-kilometer surveillance zone were declared, and the flock was to be culled. (farmersguide.co.uk) (gov.uk) In India, authorities in Kottayam district, Kerala, confirmed H5N1 in ward 16 of Udayanapuram grama panchayat in Vaikom taluk on April 12. The district ordered culling within 1 kilometer, set a 10-kilometer surveillance zone, and temporarily banned the sale and transport of eggs, meat, manure, and other poultry products from affected areas. (thehindu.com) Public advice is also shifting with spring wildlife activity. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said on April 10 that from May 1 to October 31 people should pause seed and peanut feeders, switch to small amounts of mealworms, fat balls, or suet, and clean feeding stations to reduce disease spread among garden birds. (rspb.org.uk) In the United States, the Fish and Wildlife Service says most people who find a baby bird should call a licensed rehabilitator rather than take it home, because most birds are protected and care often requires permits. Its guidance says to assess the scene first and get professional help for injured or truly orphaned birds. (fws.gov) For now, the human H9N2 case in Italy remains a single imported infection with no positive contacts found in Italy, while poultry outbreaks and wildlife precautions are keeping bird flu on multiple public-health and animal-health watchlists at once. (who.int)