Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has reported a new case of variant H9N2 avian influenza. The patient is a 1-year-old girl from Guangdong Province, China.
According to CIDRAP, the girl first had symptoms on June 12. There is no further information provided on her current status.
Recent infections show a pattern
Over the past six months, 16 human infections with H9N2 have been documented. Twelve occurred in mainland China, while Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Italy each reported one case.
Children appear especially vulnerable. Twelve of the 16 recent infections involved patients aged 10 years or younger.
Global totals remain concentrated in China
Since 2015, the World Health Organization has recorded 164 human cases of H9N2 in the Western Pacific region. Two of those patients died, both with underlying health conditions.
Of the 164 cases, 160 were reported in China.