Sichuan man dies in first human case of H5N6 bird flu
Death of 49-year-old after contact with infected dead poultry an isolated incident, say experts
A 49-year-old man in Sichuan has died of H5N6 bird flu in the first known human infection of the strain in the world.
The man from Nanchong , Nanbu county, had been in contact with dead poultry that had the disease, said China News Service. He died after being diagnosed with acute pneumonia.
Citing an online county government statement, Sichuan's provincial news portal reported that the man had became seriously ill by April 22, but it was not clear when he first showed symptoms or died.
A sample from chickens raised by a farmer in Nanbu tested positive for bird flu on April 23. The strain was confirmed to be H5N6 by the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory on Saturday.
Experts consider it an isolated case and the risk of human-to-human transmission very low as no one who had been in close contact with the man had shown symptoms. Some 1,338 poultry were culled and fowl in nearby areas were being monitored, but no abnormalities were found.
Chen Ze , a professor at the Shanghai Institute of Biological Products, said it was very likely an isolated case. "The public do not need to worry too much. The government should step up monitoring," said Chen.