Medical experts have sounded the alarm after a ‘high public health impact’ virus was detected in Europe for the first time ever, with the World Health Organisation issuing a warning
Health authorities are on high alert after a man was diagnosed with a high risk strain of bird flu in Italy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed this is the first time the A(H9N2) subtype has been imported into Europe, sparking fears of a potential new health crisis.
The patient, an adult male, had recently returned from a six-month stint in Senegal before landing in Italy. He was rushed to an emergency department suffering from a fever and a persistent cough.
While the WHO currently assesses the risk to the general population as “low,” they have warned that any human infection caused by a novel influenza A virus has the “potential for high public health impact.”
In a warning to the public, the WHO has urged people to steer clear of dangerous environments to stop the spread of the bug.
The global health body said: “The public should avoid contact with high-risk environments such as live animal markets/farms or surfaces that might be contaminated by poultry faeces.
“Respiratory protection is highly recommended for those handling live or dead (including slaughtering) poultry in occupational or backyard-farming settings. Good hand hygiene, i.e. frequent washing of hands or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitiser is recommended.”
Experts warned that the bird flu strain can cause a range of symptoms in humans. While some may only suffer mild respiratory issues, the WHO warned it can lead to severe disease and death, conjunctivitis, gastrointestinal pain and encephalitis (brain swelling).
In the latest case, the patient was hit with a double whammy, as tests also revealed he was also suffering from tuberculosis. He was immediately thrown into a “negative-pressure isolation room” as medics scrambled to contain the virus.
The mystery deepened when the patient told investigators he had “no known history of exposure to poultry” or any sick people before he fell ill.
Initial genetic findings suggest the infection was likely snatched from an “avian source” in Senegal, where the virus is known to circulate in bird populations.
Despite the man’s stable condition, the WHO is taking no chances. They said: “According to the International Health Regulations, a human infection caused by a novel influenza A virus subtype is an event that has the potential for high public health impact and must be notified to the WHO.”
Contacts of the man in both Italy and Senegal have been tracked down and monitored, with some even being given preventive antiviral drugs to stop a full-scale outbreak in its tracks.
While the WHO says the likelihood of the virus jumping from human to human is currently “low,” they are “continuing to monitor these viruses and the situation globally” as the threat looms over Europe.
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