Minor infected with A-H5 strain of avian flu in Ecuador

QUITO: A nine-year-old girl in Ecuador has been infected with the A-H5 strain of avian influenza, becoming the first human infected with the bird flu variant in the country, the Ministry of Public Health confirmed .

The case, which was reported in the central province of Bolivar, has presumably occurred through direct contact with birds that carried the virus, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying on Tuesday.

"So far no other cases of human infection have been recorded," it said, adding that measures are kept in place to prevent the transmission and spread of the avian influenza virus.

Ecuador had declared a 90-day animal health emergency on November 30, 2022, after the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was detected in poultry farms.

Vaccinations against human influenza have been carried out among people in contact with poultry and the population have been advised to use masks.