Key facts
- On 11 February 2025, two human cases of avian influenza A(H9N2) virus infections were reported by Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection. Both cases were in children from Hunan Province in China.
- No details about disease severity or exposure are available.
- Two other human cases of avian influenza A(H9N2) virus infection in China, previously reported to WHO, were announced in the same report.
- Four cases of H9N2 in China have been reported in 2025. Since 2015, a total of 114 cases of human avian influenza A(H9N2) infection, including two deaths, have been reported from China to WHO.
- The risk to human health in the EU/EEA is currently considered very low.
Overview
Update: On 11 February 2025, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection reported two human cases of avian influenza A(H9N2) virus infections (Avian Influenza Report). Both cases are children from Hunan Province. The first case had onset of disease on 27 December 2024, while the second had symptom onset on 8 January 2025. No other details regarding symptoms, disease severity, treatment, exposure or outcome are available at the moment.
Two other human cases of A(H9N2) infections in China, with disease onset in 2024, were announced in the same report. The cases were previously notified to WHO by China (WHO-influenza-at-the-human-animal-interface.pdf). The first case was in a child from Chongqing Municipality, with symptom onset on 13 December 2024, who was hospitalised on 14 December 2024. The second case was in a child from Hubei Province, with symptom onset on 27 November 2024. The case was not hospitalised. No additional information about these two cases was released in the report.
Background: Four cases of H9N2 have been reported in China in 2025. Since 2015, a total of 114 cases of human avian influenza A(H9N2) infection, including two deaths, have been reported from China to WHO.
ECDC assessment
Sporadic human cases of avian influenza A (H9N2) have been observed outside the EU/EEA, mainly in young children. Direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environments is the most likely source of human infection with avian influenza viruses. Influenza A(H9N2) in most cases leads to mild clinical illness. To date, no clusters of human A(H9N2) infections have been reported. According to WHO, the likelihood of human-to-human transmission of A(H9N2) is low, as there is no evidence that the virus has acquired the ability for sustained transmission among humans.
To date, there have been no human cases of avian influenza A(H9N2) reported in the EU/EEA, and the risk to human health in the region is currently considered very low.
Actions
ECDC monitors avian influenza strains through its epidemic intelligence and disease network activities. Together with the European Food Safety Authority and the EU Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, ECDC produces a quarterly report on the avian influenza situation. The most recent report was published in December 2024.