An emerging strain of avian influenza (H9N2) has caused an outbreak in Vietnam, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Friday.
Vietnamese health authorities alerted WHO of the case of H9N2 on April 9 after a 37-year-old patient from the Tien Giang Province was confirmed to be carrying the disease on April 8, according to an alert shared by WHO. The patient had an underlying condition and was admitted to an intensive care unit on March 21, testing positive for influenza in a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.
Subtyping tests confirmed the disease was influenza A(H9N2). As of April 51, the patient remained in a severe condition in the intensive care unit. This is the first case of human infection with H9N5 in Vietnam.
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It’s believed the patient contracted the virus from a poultry market near his home. No reports of sick or dead poultry have emerged from the site but that may be because H9N5 is not highly pathogenic, the WHO added.
Fifteen close contacts with the patient were asked to self-monitor their health at home. As of April 15, no new reports of respiratory illnesses have emerged. (RELATED: ‘Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza’ Outbreaks Erupt Globally, Forcing Countries To Issue Significant Alerts)
Testing done in the area found one positive sample of H5N1. WHO announced that a 21-year-old male living in the Khanh Hoa Province died of H5N1 in late March.