H5N6 is a subtype of the species
Influenza A virus (sometimes called
bird flu
"Bird Flu" is an urumee melam-dance song by recording artist M.I.A. on her second studio album '' Kala'' (2007). It was released as a digital download in 2006 through XL Recordings under exclusive license to Interscope Records in the US. Cr ...
virus). Infected birds shed the virus in their saliva, mucous, and feces. The virus was first detected in poultry in 2013, since then spreading among wild bird populations and poultry around the world. Humans can be infected through unprotected contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces. The virus transmits by getting into a person's eyes, nose, mouth, and through inhalation. Human infections are rare. Since 2014, at least 65 cases have occurred in humans. 29 people have died. A spike in human cases was reported in 2021. There have been no confirmed cases of
human-to-human transmission
Human-to-human transmission (HHT) is an epidemiologic vector, especially in case the disease is borne by individuals known as superspreaders. In these cases, the basic reproduction number of the virus, which is the average number of additional pe ...
. Some infections have been identified where no direct contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces has been known to had occurred. Only one infected woman has said that she never came into any contact with poultry.
2016
In November and December human cases of H5N6 were reported in China. From October to December, four outbreaks were also reported in China, resulting in the culling of over 170,000 birds. In December, H5N6 avian influenza was reported in bird droppings in Hong Kong.
In December, South Korea raised its bird flu alert to highest level for the first time.
2017
An Australian test confirmed that the August 2017 bird flu outbreak in
Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...
was of the subtype H5N6.
2020
Coinciding with the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, H5N6 caused the deaths of 1,840 of 2,497 birds at a
poultry farm
Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion chic ...
in China's
Sichuan province
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
.
25,000 birds were culled in total in a Philippines poultry outbreak. A 7-mile zone constricting poultry movement was also established.
2021
The first reported human case outside of
China was detected in
Laos. A five-year-old boy from
Luang Prabang Province tested positive after being exposed to
poultry
Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, ...
.
At least 16 isolated cases were reported in China between July and September 2021, including a case in a 26-year-old woman from
Guilin
Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''; alternatively romanized as Kweilin) is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the nort ...
who died. A 61-year old woman who was infected in July has denied ever coming into contact with poultry.
On 3 October, the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...
said wider surveillance was urgently required to better understand the risk and the recent increase of
spill over to humans.
On October 26, 2021, Thijs Kuiken, a professor of comparative
pathology
Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...
at Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, said the rise in human cases could be explained by a new variant which is "a little more infectious" to people.
2022
On January 7, 2022, a 43-year-old woman in the
Guangdong province of China was hospitalised.
On January 13, 2022, five more people in the
Guangxi autonomous region
Guangxi (; ; alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam ( ...
, the Sichuan province, and the
Zhejiang province of China were reported to be infected, two of whom have died.
On March 18, 2022, a 28-year-old man from Puyang in Henan Province, was hospitalized.
On March 24, 2022, a 53-year-old woman from Zhenjiang City in Jiangsu Province, was hospitalized.
A 56-year-old male living in Deyang City (Sichuan Province) became the 13th case of 2022 when on March 31, 2022, he developed symptoms. He was hospitalized on April 4.
Sources
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q18703921, from2=Q1870392
H5N6
H5N6 is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus (sometimes called bird flu virus). Infected birds shed the virus in their saliva, mucous, and feces. The virus was first detected in poultry in 2013, since then spreading among wild bird popul ...