2021's First Bird Flu Death In India! 12-Year-Old Succumbs To H5N1 Avian Influenza In AIIMS Delhi

India recorded its first Bird Flu death in the country this year on Tuesday, after a 12-year-old boy succumbed to the H5N1 Avian Influenza during treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. According to AIIMS officials, the minor boy who was suffering from Leukemia and Pneumonia was found to be infected with H5N1 Avian Influenza after the diagnosis. The boy was under treatment and was admitted to AIIMS ICU. All the staff at AIIMS Delhi who had exposure to the boy were asked to monitor themselves for any signs or symptoms and have reportedly been placed under isolation. The H5N1 virus is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus. Avian Influenza is a strain of the influenza virus which primarily infects birds but also has the potential to affect humans. While this type of flu is mostly contracted by coming in contact with sick birds, it can also be passed from person to person. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), human cases of H5N1 are rare but if infected, the mortality rate is 60%. According to experts, bird flu is caused by a type of influenza virus that rarely infects humans, and in almost all cases of H5N1 infection the infected person has had close contact with infected live or dead birds or H5N1 infected environment.