Avian influenza, first European case discovered at Milan Malpensa

The first case of human bird flu in Europe was diagnosed yesterday in Lombardy. He is a 30-year-old boy who, after arriving in Italia last week at Milan's Malpensa airport from an African country, presented symptoms very similar to the flu, but such that he had to go to the San Gerardo hospital in Monza, where the boy, who also has other previous illnesses, underwent tests and investigations that showed him to be positive for this flu virus, an infection that mainly occurs in birds. He is therefore a non-Italian case of bird flu, but an imported one, and, among other things, affected by the strain (H9N2) that is less aggressive than the better known H5N1. His discovery, however, triggered surveillance and monitoring measures - between the Region, the Ministry of Health and the Higher Institute of Health - to trace the people who had contact with him (health workers, family members and even passengers on the same flight) who were tested and found negative. "The clinical picture does not give cause for particular concern, at the moment he is hospitalised in isolation and the population - assured Lombardy's Welfare Councillor Guido Bertolaso - does not run any risk". 'There are currently no critical situations and the situation is constantly monitored,' confirmed the Ministry of Health.

The greatest risk lies in the species jump that avian viruses could still make, thus making inter-human contagion possible and triggering possible epidemics. The feared 'human-to-human' spread has not occurred so far, however, and the risk of infection for the general population, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), is 'low' and may only become moderate for workers or other personnel exposed on a poultry farm where there are confirmed cases, where culling measures are always triggered. So far around a thousand human cases of H5N1 avian influenza infection have been diagnosed worldwide, mainly in Asia and Africa. It has a very high lethality rate of around 50 per cent "due to the fact that in those countries where it is more widespread, such as Asia, only the most severe cases are identified," explains epidemiologist Gianni Rezza. He reiterates that there is no alarm in Italia: 'H9N2 is a virus of low pathogenicity in birds and seems to have a virulence that is not particularly high in humans, certainly much lower than that of H5N1 or H7N9'. However, we must not lower our guard because 'this episode is nonetheless important because it reminds us that there are numerous viruses, of avian or even porcine origin, that can jump species and thus have pandemic potential,' Rezza concludes.