By NewsDesk @bactiman63
Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) announced today the monitoring of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in mainland China, the 24th case reported in the past 10 months.
The case involves a 60-year-old woman living in Changde in Hunan Province. She is a farmer and had exposure to dead poultry. She developed symptoms on October 3, and was admitted for treatment on October 13. The patient is in critical condition.
From 2014 to date, 48 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) have been reported by Mainland health authorities.
Avian influenza is caused by those influenza viruses that mainly affect birds and poultry, such as chickens or ducks. Human cases infected with avian influenza A (e.g. H5N1, H5N6, H6N1, H7N4, H7N9, H9N2 and H10N8) viruses have been identified in recent years.
Clinical presentation of avian influenza in humans may range from flu-like symptoms (e.g. fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches) to severe respiratory illness (e.g. chest infection). Eye infection (conjunctivitis) and gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g. nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea) have also been reported. Infection of the more virulent forms [e.g. avian influenza A (H5N1, H5N6, H7N9 or H10N8) viruses] can result in respiratory failure, multi-organ failure and even death.
People mainly become infected with avian influenza virus through contact with infected birds and poultry (live or dead) or their droppings, or contact with contaminated environments (such as wet markets and live poultry markets). Human-to-human transmission is inefficient. Outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry have been reported in some countries from time to time, and some cases of human infection have occasionally been reported.
Note there is another positive H5N6 case 66 Male from Yongzhou City, Hunan reported by Taiwan CDC, pending CHP.
This was first reported in vague report by Yongzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued emergency reminders for epidemic prevention and control 2021-10-05 17:17
Source: Yongzhou News Network Issuing agency: Yongzhou City Administrative Examination and Approval Bureau (Government Affairs Open Office)
Clipping:
Five, pay attention to the common prevention of multiple diseases. Autumn is the season of high incidence of common infectious diseases such as influenza, hand, foot and mouth, and norovirus. Recently, there have been cases of H5N6 avian influenza and other zoonotic diseases in individual counties and districts of our city. It is recommended to avoid buying live poultry at live poultry trading markets, and not to process and eat sick or dead poultry. At the same time, develop good personal hygiene habits such as frequent hand washing, frequent ventilation, and frequent drying of clothes and quilts, regular life, reasonable diet, eat more fruits and vegetables, and improve self-immunity.
Yongzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention
October 4, 2021
http://www.yzcity.gov.cn//cnyz/hygqs/202110/be278de23f654d9082165dff26442fda.shtml
Mainland China-H5N6 Influenza
Source: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hong Kong Center for Health Protection , October 19, 2021
Two new cases were confirmed on October 5-16 in Mainland China . They were a 66-year-old male from Yongzhou City, Hunan Province and a 60-year-old female from Changde City. Both of them became ill at the end of September and early October respectively. They were both hospitalized and were in critical condition. A history of contact with poultry or dead or sick poultry, and none of the current family contacts has become ill. The poultry environment sample of the Yongzhou case has been tested positive for H5. Since 2014, the country has reported a total of 49 cases of human infection, including 25 deaths; so far this year, there have been 23 cases. The WHO stated that it will review the risk assessment if there is further information, but the risk of human-to-human transmission is still low and the assessment remains unchanged.
Last update date 2021/10/20
https://www.cdc.gov.tw/TravelEpidemic/Detail/UUpHap0iGRBuwc0viK7KKw?epidemicId=So9pgRfCwzB2UE-NOQfL3Q