Human Infection with Avian Influenza Reported in Nepal

The first human infection with an avian influenza A(H5N1) virus (H5N1 bird flu) since February 2017 has been reported in Nepal. This is the South Asian country's first human infection with H5N1 bird flu. No human infections with Asian H5N1 viruses have been reported in the United States, and the report of a single H5N1 infection in Nepal poses no direct risk to any U.S. resident.

Learn More

First Human Infection With Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Since 2017 Reported in Nepal

Español

May 6, 2019 — The first human infection with an avian influenza A(H5N1) virus (H5N1 bird flu) since 2017 has been reported in Nepal. This is the South Asian country’s first human infection with H5N1 bird flu.

Nepal has been experiencing sporadic outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu among poultry in recent months. Asian-lineage H5N1 viruses have been associated with poultry outbreaks in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa since 2003. These outbreaks have been associated with high mortality in poultry and rare human infections. Nepal becomes the 17th country worldwide to report a human infection with this virus.

Most human infections with bird flu viruses have been associated with exposure to infected birds or contaminated environments, such as poultry farms or live poultry markets. Human infections with bird flu are reportable to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since 2003, 860 human infections have been reported, with about half of those people dying. Instances of person-to-person spread of Asian H5N1 viruses have been very rare, and no ongoing sustained community spread of this virus has occurred. In Nepal, no additional suspected human H5N1 bird flu infections have been reported since this first illness was identified in March.