#15,618
Although it is almost certainly an undercount, yesterday Hong Kong's CHP reported on Mainland China's 25th human infection with HPAI H5N6, the first confirmed case we've seen since August of 2019.
While the number of confirmed cases remains low, HPAI H5N6 has been one of the deadlier avian flu viruses we've seen jump to humans, with over a 50% fatality rate among identified cases.
As we discussed earlier this week (see Vietnam: Dozens Of Sacks Of H5N6 Infected Chickens Dumped on Nghe An Beach), while the virus has been detected in other countries (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, etc.), only Mainland China has reported human infections to date.
It should be noted that there are other HPAI H5N6 viruses, of different lineages, that have not posed a threat to human health, including a European variant which appeared in 2016, and has also migrated to Asia.
First the report from Hong Kong's CHP, then I'll return with a bit more.
HP closely monitors human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Mainland
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (December 11) closely monitoring a human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in the Mainland, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.
The case involved an 81-year-old female farmer from Changzhou of Jiangsu Province, who had exposure to live chicken at home prior to developing symptoms on November 16. She was hospitalised and subsequently passed away on November 27.
From 2014 to date, 25 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) have been reported by the Mainland health authorities.
"All novel influenza A infections, including H5N6, are notifiable infectious diseases in Hong Kong," a spokesman for the CHP said.
Travellers to the Mainland or other affected areas must avoid visiting wet markets, live poultry markets or farms. They should be alert to the presence of backyard poultry when visiting relatives and friends. They should also avoid purchasing live or freshly slaughtered poultry, and avoid touching poultry/birds or their droppings. They should strictly observe personal and hand hygiene when visiting any place with live poultry.
Travellers returning from affected areas should consult a doctor promptly if symptoms develop, and inform the doctor of their travel history for prompt diagnosis and treatment of potential diseases. It is essential to tell the doctor if they have seen any live poultry during travel, which may imply possible exposure to contaminated environments. This will enable the doctor to assess the possibility of avian influenza and arrange necessary investigations and appropriate treatment in a timely manner.
While local surveillance, prevention and control measures are in place, the CHP will remain vigilant and work closely with the World Health Organization and relevant health authorities to monitor the latest developments.In the summer of 2017, following a disastrous spring surge in H7N9 infections and the emergence of a new HPAI strain, China's MOA announced plans to test a new experimental H5+H7 poultry vaccine in two provinces (Guangdong & Guangxi).
With fears that H7N9 was creeping ever closer to becoming a pandemic strain, and sporadic HPAI H5N6 outbreaks and human infections being reported, less than a month later the MOA Ordered this Vaccine Deployed Nationwide that fall.
While previous poultry vaccination programs had yielded varying levels of success, China's dramatic drop in human infections, reported outbreaks in poultry, and virus detection from routine surveillance has exceeded all expectations.
While a game changer, this vaccination campaign did not completely eradicate HPAI H7N9 or HPAI H5N6, but it has greatly suppressed them. In 2018, 5 more human infections were reported with H5N6, and a novel H7N4 infection was reported in Jiangsu Province.
We've also seen evidence that new variants of H7N9 and H5N6 have continued to emerge over the past 3 years.
After a lengthy lull in human cases, this is the second human infection with HPAI H5 reported in Asia this fall (see Laos: First Reported H5N1 Human Infection In 18 Months), and it comes as we are seeing the biggest uptick in HPAI H5 activity in wild birds and poultry in years.
A reminder that while viral threats often recede, they rarely go away completely.
Our preoccupation with COVID-19 - as understandable as it is - should not blind us to the myriad other threats that are quietly evolving and adapting in the wild.
