March 26, 2026, 10:14 amMarch 26, 2026, 10:14 am
The first case of a person confirmed to be infected with the H9N2 bird flu virus has been identified in Italy. This is the first case in Europe, confirmed the Ministry of Health in Rome.
The bird flu virus H9N2 was detected in a human for the first time in Europe.Image: keystone
However, the man living in Italy was infected with the H9N2 virus strain in Africa. All people who had contact with the man tested negative. “There is therefore no alarm situation in Italy,” assured epidemiologist Gianni Rezza, according to media reports. Nevertheless, monitoring by the Ministry of Health is active.
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 195 human cases of H9N2 have been reported worldwide since 1998 and as of February 27, 2026. This is in ten countries in Asia and Africa. Two infections were fatal.
No clusters of influenza A (H9N2) infections in humans nor documented cases of human-to-human transmission have been identified. Direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environments is considered the most likely source of avian influenza virus infections in humans.
Human cases of another, more aggressive strain – H5N1 – have been detected, although very rarely, in England, Spain and Turkey, as well as in Asia and Africa, in recent years. In total, around a thousand infections with H5N1 have been registered worldwide since the beginning of the 2000s, with a high mortality rate.
In general, infection with viruses occurs through direct contact with infected poultry or with contaminated environments or materials. The virus primarily affects birds, but has also been found in several mammals. (dab/sda/apa)
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