WHO Confirms First Human Bird Flu Case in Europe Detected in Italy

Italy has confirmed the first human case of avian influenza A(H9N2) in the European region. The case involves an adult male who traveled to Italy from outside the continent, marking the first time this specific subtype of bird flu has been detected in a human within Europe.

The Italian Ministry of Health confirmed the infection on March 25, 2026. The patient, who had been in Senegal for more than six months, returned to the Lombardy region of northern Italy in mid-March.

Upon his arrival, the patient visited an emergency department presenting with a fever and a persistent cough. Initial medical screenings on March 16 included a bronchoalveolar lavage specimen, which indicated a positive result for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the presence of an un-subtypeable influenza A virus.

Clinical Management and Diagnosis

Following the initial findings, the patient was placed in a negative-pressure isolation room under airborne precautions. He received a combination of antiviral oseltamivir and antitubercular medication to treat the co-occurring infections.

Next generation sequencing later confirmed that the influenza virus was the A(H9N2) subtype. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the patient’s condition was stable and improving by April 9, 2026.

The patient had co-existing medical conditions. While some reports describe the patient as a boy with underlying health conditions, WHO documentation identifies the patient as an adult male.

Public Health Response and Risk Assessment

The National International Health Regulations (IHR) Focal Point for Italy notified the WHO of the case on March 21, 2026. This notification is required under IHR (2005) because human infections caused by novel influenza A virus subtypes have the potential for high public health impact.

Italian health authorities implemented monitoring, prevention, and control measures. This included identifying the patient’s contacts as part of routine surveillance and prevention activities.

The WHO has assessed the current risk to the general population posed by A(H9N2) viruses as low. Despite this assessment, the organization continues to monitor the situation globally and within the European region.

Understanding H9N2 Avian Influenza

H9N2 is classified as a low-pathogenicity avian influenza virus. In the context of poultry, low pathogenicity refers to the virus’s ability to cause disease in birds; however, in humans, H9N2 typically causes only mild illness.

Human infections are most commonly driven by direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environments. In this specific case, epidemiological investigations found that the patient had no known history of exposure to poultry or any person with similar symptoms before the onset of his illness.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) notes that sporadic human cases of avian influenza are not unexpected in regions where the virus circulates in bird populations.

Global Context and Surveillance

Between November 29, 2025, and February 27, 2026, the ECDC and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reported ten human cases of avian flu, none of which were fatal. These cases occurred in Cambodia and China, with China recording eight A(H9N2) cases.

According to ECDC data, a total of 195 human cases of A(H9N2) had been reported worldwide across ten countries in Asia and Africa between 1998 and February 27, 2026.

The ECDC emphasized that there have been no reported clusters of human cases of this variant, nor has there been any evidence of person-to-person transmission.