#16,133
The sudden uptick of human H5N6 infections in China continues with word today from Hong Kong's CHP that the husband of the case we learned about 9 days ago has also been hospitalized with H5N6 avian flu. His wife developed developed symptoms on July 26 and was admitted for treatment on August 1st.
It isn't clear why there why we are only hearing about this case 18 days after he was hospitalized, and 9 days after the notification on his wife. It is not unheard of for China to `strategically release information', however, particularly regarding infectious diseases.
Today's announcement comes less than two weeks after we saw HK CHP Monitoring 2 More H5N6 Infections On The Mainland (Guangxi & Sichuan), and a spate of scattered cases reported in June and July.
Given the 1-day gap between hospitalizations, it is most likely a case of shared exposure, and not a case of human-to-human transmission. First the announcement from HK's CHP, then I'll return with a postscript.
CHP closely monitors human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in MainlandThe Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (August 19) 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 involves a 54-year-old man living in Chenzhou City of Hunan Province, who is the husband of the case reported on August 10. He had cooked and eaten a duck purchased from a live poultry market together with his wife before the onset of symptoms. He developed symptoms on August 2 and was admitted for treatment on the same day. The patient is in stable condition.From 2014 to date, 39 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) have been reported by 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.The public should maintain strict personal, hand, food and environmental hygiene and take heed of the advice below when handling poultry:
- Avoid touching poultry, birds, animals or their droppings;
- When buying live chickens, do not touch them and their droppings. Do not blow at their bottoms. Wash eggs with detergent if soiled with faecal matter and cook and consume the eggs immediately. Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling chickens and eggs;
- Eggs should be cooked well until the white and yolk become firm. Do not eat raw eggs or dip cooked food into any sauce with raw eggs. Poultry should be cooked thoroughly. If there is pinkish juice running from the cooked poultry or the middle part of its bone is still red, the poultry should be cooked again until fully done;
- Wash hands frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes, before handling food or eating, and after going to the toilet or touching public installations or equipment, such as escalator handrails, elevator control panels or door knobs, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing; and
- Wear a mask if fever or respiratory symptoms develop, when going to a hospital or clinic, or while taking care of patients with fever or respiratory symptoms.
The public may visit the CHP's pages for more information: the avian influenza page, the weekly Avian Influenza Report, global statistics and affected areas of avian influenza, the Facebook Page and the YouTube Channel.Ends/Thursday, August 19, 2021Issued at HKT 19:38NNNN
Although the first human infection with H5N6 was reported in Sichuan Province in the spring of 2014, we've seen more than 1/3rd of the 39 known cases reported over just the past 9 months (15 from China, 1 from Laos).
Summer is typically the nadir of avian flu transmission, which makes this recent spate of human H5N6 infections in China worth noting.
HPAI H5 is not only on the ascendent again (see yesterday's report DEFRA: Epidemiological Report On 2020-21 Avian Flu & A Look Ahead To This Fall), it continues to evolve and adapt, increasing its threat to public health. While once we only really worried about H5N1, H5N8 and H5N6 are now considered zoonotic threats with pandemic potential.
While HPAI H5 hasn't yet gained the ability to spread efficiently among humans, that is a new capability we won't know about until after it happens.
Which is why we continue to monitor avian flu's spread and evolution with considerable interest.
