First H5N1 death recorded in State

VIJAYAWADA: A two-year-old girl from Balaiah Nagar in Narasaraopet of Palnadu district, has tested positive for H5N1 (Human Avian Influenza), marking the first confirmed case in the State.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) confirmed the case on March 31 after a sample sent by All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS), Mangalagiri, to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, tested positive.

The child, admitted on March 4 with severe flu-like symptoms, succumbed on March 16 despite intensive treatment.

Health authorities launched an immediate response, deploying Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) from Government General Hospital (GGH), Guntur, and eight teams of health workers to conduct fever surveys in the area.

No abnormal cases have been detected, and surveillance will continue for two weeks. Officials noted that the child had a habit of consuming raw chicken and had eaten it two days before falling ill.

Preliminary investigations by the Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department identified a poultry farm with 200 to 300 chickens about one kilometer from the child’s residence.

The farm supplies poultry to local markets. Authorities are monitoring the area for any potential links between the infection and the poultry farm.

India has recorded four human avian influenza cases in the past five years—one in Maharashtra (2019), one in Haryana (2021), and two in West Bengal (2024). Health officials reassured the public that the risk of further spread remains minimal, as more than twice the virus’s incubation period has passed since the child’s death.

All District Medical and Health Officers (DM&HOs) have been alerted to follow standard protocols for severe influenza cases. Isolation wards have been set up at Andhra Medical College (AMC) in Visakhapatnam, Siddhartha Medical College (SMC) in Vijayawada, and Kurnool Medical College (KMC).

The public is advised to seek medical attention for flu-like symptoms, properly cook poultry products, and avoid contact with sick or dead birds.

The government is coordinating with the Animal Husbandry Department to monitor poultry farms for possible outbreaks. Health officials urge residents to remain cautious but not panic.