Mumbai, April 3:  A two-year-old girl from Narasaraopet in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district has become the state’s first recorded human fatality from avian influenza (H5N1) after reportedly consuming raw chicken given by her parents. She developed severe symptoms, including breathlessness and diarrhea, leading to her hospitalisation. The incident has raised concerns as Andhra Pradesh was recently declared bird flu-free.

As per a report by Times of India, the child was admitted to AIIMS-Mangalagiri on March 4 with symptoms of bird flu but succumbed to the infection on March 16. The case gained attention on Wednesday after officials reconfirmed her swab test results. Tests conducted by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune and the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) in Guntur confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus in her samples. Bird Flu Alert: Mass Culling in 3 Districts of Karnataka After Rise in Avian Influenza Cases.

The state government has issued a high alert, instructing district health officials to conduct fever screenings in high-risk areas. “We are also monitoring people for unusual symptoms,” said Health Secretary MT Krishna Babu. Despite the concern, officials reassured the public that there is no immediate threat, as the child’s death was linked to eating raw chicken rather than human-to-human transmission. Is US Bird Flu Outbreak in Cattle a Global Risk to Humans?

According to the parents, they had given their daughter a small piece of raw chicken on February 28, something they had done before without any issues. However, this time, she developed severe symptoms, including breathlessness and diarrhea, leading to her hospitalisation.

The girl was first taken to a local hospital before being moved to AIIMS-Mangalagiri as her condition worsened. Tests at ICMR New Delhi and NIV Pune confirmed H5N1 before her death. Other family members who ate cooked chicken remained healthy, and all initial tests on them and others from the same meat shop were negative. Officials have now collected fresh samples for further analysis.

Health experts ruled out further spread, noting H5N1 has a short incubation period and no new cases have been reported in 18 days. AIIMS-Mangalagiri called it an isolated case, not an outbreak. The incident has raised concerns as Andhra Pradesh was recently declared bird flu-free. Animal Husbandry Director Dr. T Damodar Naidu assured there were no bird flu traces in poultry farms and advised cooking chicken and eggs properly to kill the virus.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 03, 2025 12:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).