Nepal Reports First Bird Flu Death

Ministry of Health and Population in Nepal confirmed the first death related to Influenza A in the country after a 21-year-old youth died due to H5N1 influenza.

The authorities have not disclosed the victim's identity and told the public that there was no need to panic, as it was a month-old case and chances of the virus spreading were remote, reports The Himalayan Times.

‘Bird flu, also known as avian influenza (H5N1 influenza), has recently been determined as the cause of death of an infected 21-year-old youth from Kavrepalanchok district. The health authorities in Nepal confirmed this as the first reported bird flu casualty in the country. ’

Pushpa Chaudhary, the Ministry Secretary, told the media here that it had sent the victim's throat swab to the WHO Collaborating Centre for Influenza in Japan which confirmed bird flu.

The youth, who was hospitalized on March 24 with symptoms of fever and cough, died on March 29.

The government received a report from Japan only on April 30 that confirmed the youth had bird flu.

Chaudhary said the government had taken all measures to prevent the virus from spreading to other members of the victim's family.

H5N1 is a type of influenza virus that causes a highly infectious, severe respiratory disease in birds.

Humans are rarely infected with H5N1, but when people to people the infection is caused due to mutation of the virus, which is a rare occurrence, then there is 60 percent chance of mortality, said Bibek Kumar Lal, executive director at Epidemiology and Diseases Control Division.

Since 2004, 860 people have died of bird flu around the world.

The disease was reported in Nepal in March.

Cases of H5N1 infection in humans are found to have been caused by close contact with infected live or dead birds.

Source: IANS