Samples of a two-year-old girl from Narasaraopeta, from Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, who died of multi-organ failure at AIIMS-Mangalagiri on March 16, tested positive for H5N1 virus.
This was confirmed by National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune in a report sent to AP Health Department. This is the second human death in the country due to H5N1 virus, which causes bird flu, and the first in Andhra Pradesh, according to officials.
According to an official release, the girl had the “habit of consuming raw chicken” and ate it two days before the onset of symptoms on February 28.
Even though Andhra Pradesh reported avian influenza in more than four districts in the state in January and February, Palnadu district was not among them. It did not have a history of any bird-flu outbreak or large scale bird mortality.
