H9N2 Bird Flu Hits Europe as First Human Case Confirmed in Italy

H9N2 Bird Flu Hits Europe as First Human Case Confirmed in Italy

A reminder that we need to remain vigilant.ScienceAlert stories are written, fact-checked, and edited by humans, never generated by AI. Don't miss a story, subscribe here.

First human case of H9N2 bird flu recorded in Europe. Here’s what we know

Ed Hutchinson, an influenza virologist, explains what this means and why he is not particularly worried by it – yet

First European case of H9N2 bird flu reported in Italy – what you need to know

Aschmidtyphotographer/Shutterstock.comThe first human case of H9N2 influenza virus (bird flu) has been reported in Europe. A human infection was recorded by the Italian Ministry of Health on March 25, 2026. As an influenza virologist, I can explain what this means and why I am not particularly worried by it – yet. What do we know about this case? The patient was infected outside of Europe before travelling to the Lombardy region of northern Ital…

First Human Case of Bird Flu Imported in EU

Italian health authorities have been alerted of the first human case of avian influenza A(H9N2) in the EU.