AI Virus Detected at Nearby Egg Farm
Hundreds of Thousands of Chickens Culled
Local media in Australia reported that a child has been confirmed to be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI).
On the 22nd (local time), according to Australia's AAP news agency and others, the Victoria State Department of Health confirmed that a child who returned to Australia from India in March was infected with H5N1, one of the AI viruses, while receiving treatment at a hospital due to poor health.
The report stated, "Australian authorities discovered the AI virus at a nearby egg farm and culled hundreds of thousands of chickens." The Department of Health explained that this is the first time a person in Australia has contracted AI, and although the symptoms were once severe, the child has now fully recovered.
The Department of Health said that after tracing contacts of the child, no other human infections were confirmed. Local authorities noted that this is the first AI outbreak in Australia since 2020 and sent virus samples to the Australian Disease Preparedness Center for further testing.
Human infection with H5N1 is uncommon but occasionally occurs, and in such cases, the mortality rate is known to be very high.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), from 2003 until last month, there have been 889 cases of human H5N1 infections reported in 23 countries worldwide, with 463 deaths among patients, resulting in a fatality rate of 52%.
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