Ecuador reported its first case of human transmission of bird flu in a 9-year-old girl, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday, marking a rare case of human infection a month after the country declared an animal health emergency.
“It is presumed that the infection was caused by direct contact with birds carrying the virus,” the health ministry said in a statement.
The MSP reported that the case, identified in the Ecuadorian province of Bolivar (center), was confirmed in the National Institute of Research and Public Health (Inspi) laboratory.
“So far, no other human cases have been reported,” the note adds.
The portfolio recommended citizens reinforce biosecurity measures (hand washing, use of masks and vaccination against influenza) to reduce the risk of contagion and also to go to health centers in case of fever, cough and sore throat.
Last December, Ecuador issued an alert for avian flu and reinforced controls to curb the impact of this disease on birds.
On Monday, two new cases of avian influenza were reported in the provinces of Cotopaxi (north) and Bolivar (center), according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).
Until last December, it was estimated that more than 300,000 birds were infected with this disease in Ecuador after discovering two initial outbreaks.
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