Chile reports first case of bird flu in human
A 53-year-old man in Chile has been diagnosed with bird flu, the country's first case, the Health Ministry reported on Wednesday. The man was suffering from severe influenza symptoms but was in stable condition. The government is trying to trace the source of the virus as well as the people with whom the patient may have come into contact.
Why does this story matter?
Since last year, Chile has reported H5N1 bird flu cases in wild animals. Recently, the government has also halted poultry exports owing to cases of bird flu in industrial farms. In Asia, Europe, and North America, poultry flocks were culled to prevent the spread last year. Earlier this year, Ecuador also detected a nine-year-old girl with bird flu, marking South America's first human case.
Chile was declared bird flu-free in 2020
Notably, bird flu made a return around the end of 2022 in Chile through pelicans after it was declared free from it in early 2020. The country's Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) has reportedly been receiving increasing reports of sick or dead seabirds. However, the virus hasn't been detected in commercial livestock yet although it was found in dead birds in the Valparaiso region.
No known case of human-to-human transmission
The bird flu virus can be transmitted to humans from birds or aquatic mammals. However, there hasn't been any case of human-to-human transmission. Meanwhile, the Chilean health ministry advised citizens not to handle sick or dead birds or mammals. At the same time, poultry workers have been requested to follow safety protocols and get vaccinated against seasonal flu.
US reported first human case in April 2022
Before Ecuador, the United States (US) detected its first human case of bird flu in April last year. Although Argentina reported the virus in industrial farms, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil—the world's largest poultry exporter—have yet to report any cases of the virus. The virus entered South America through Colombia and soon reached Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, and Chile after traversing North and Central America.
4,000 poultry birds culled in Jharkhand to stop bird flu
In February this year, a bird flu outbreak was reported at a state-run poultry farm in Jharkhand's Bokaro. Nearly 4,000 birds, including chickens and ducks, were culled to stop the virus from spreading. India is also dealing with the flu subtype H3N2.
