A two-year-old girl from Narasaraopet town in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district has died from avian influenza (H5N1) after her parents fed her a piece of raw chicken. This tragic incident marks the state’s first documented human fatality from bird flu and India’s second, following a case in Haryana in 2021.
Timeline of the Case
The girl was admitted to AIIMS-Mangalagiri on March 4 with symptoms of bird flu. Despite medical efforts, she passed away on March 16. Officials confirmed the case on Wednesday after reconfirming her swab test results.
Diagnostic Findings Confirm H5N1 Infection
As reported by TOI, National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune and the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) in Guntur detected the H5N1 virus in the girl’s samples. Further testing by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) laboratory in New Delhi reaffirmed the diagnosis.
Government Declares High Alert
Following the confirmation, the state government declared a high alert. Authorities instructed all district medical and health officers to conduct fever screenings in vulnerable areas. “We are also monitoring individuals for unusual symptoms,” said principal secretary (health) MT Krishna Babu. However, officials assured the public that the case resulted from consuming raw chicken rather than human-to-human transmission.
Parents Recount the Events Leading to Infection
The girl’s parents, a homemaker and a private bank loan recovery agent, said they had given her a small piece of raw chicken on February 28. Although she had eaten raw chicken before without issues, this time she developed severe health complications, including breathlessness and diarrhea. Initially, they took her to a local hospital, but as her condition worsened, they transferred her to AIIMS-Mangalagiri.
Testing and Surveillance Efforts
Doctors collected nasal swab samples on March 7, confirming influenza A at AIIMS-Mangalagiri’s VRDL. Further testing at the ICMR lab in New Delhi confirmed the presence of H5N1, with NIV Pune reconfirming the results before the girl’s passing.
Meanwhile, health officials tested other family members and individuals who purchased chicken from the same meat shop. All initial results came back negative. “We have once again collected nasal swab samples from the family and sent them to VRDL for further analysis,” a senior health official stated.
Health Advisory: Cook Chicken and Eggs Properly
Animal husbandry director Dr. T. Damodar Naidu urged the public to consume only thoroughly cooked chicken and eggs. “The bird flu virus cannot survive at temperatures above 60 to 70 degrees Celsius,” he emphasized.
Officials Rule Out Further Spread
Health officials dismissed concerns about further transmission, citing H5N1’s short incubation period of three to four days. “Since the girl died 18 days ago and no additional cases have surfaced, there is no risk of further spread,” an official confirmed.
AIIMS-Mangalagiri classified this as a “sporadic case” rather than an outbreak, stating that no new human infections had been reported since March 16.
No Bird Flu Found in Poultry Farms
The case raised concerns across the state, especially after the animal husbandry department recently declared Andhra Pradesh bird flu-free, citing no recorded poultry farm mortalities.
“Following the child’s death, we conducted surveillance at all poultry farms and backyard poultry in Guntur, Palnadu, Prakasam district, and Narasaraopet town. We found no traces of bird flu in poultry,” Dr. Naidu confirmed.