Hong Kong: H9, One of the "Other" Avian Influenzas

indigo girl · Dec 24, 2009

Are you up on the all of the avian influenzas that can cause disease in humans? No? Well here is a report of an H9 bird flu that infected a child in Hong Kong. This is not the first appearance of this flu, however. Back in 1997, other human cases occurred in Hong Kong. Of note, H9 viruses have pandemic potential because they are a good fit for receptors in the human airway according to some scientists, and we have no immunity to them.

And, there are other bird viruses as well besides the dreaded H5N1, but most are considered low pathogenic avian influenzas ( LPAI). However, even LPAI when they occur in poultry are a concern, and the birds are immediately culled while the govt agencies tell the public not to worry. Why do they cull the birds if the virus is not dangerous? See this link, specifically post #11 for some discussion about low pathogenic flu in North America: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/pandemic-news-awareness-232551-page2.html#post2275552

Meanwhile back to the story on the recent case in Hong Kong:

H9 is only known to include LPAI strains. H9N2 viruses had been isolated in multiple avian species throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.
Most of these places are areas where, quite frankly, testing and surveillance for H9 human flu infections are unlikely to occur.
Hong Kong appears to be a hotbed for H9 reports simply because they actively test for avian viruses. A legacy of having narrowly dodged the H5N1 bullet in 1997.

More at: http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2009/12/another-h9-report-from-hong-kong.html

The reference to narrowly dodging a bullet with H5N1 in 1997 refers to the infection of some human cases of the very virulent H5N1 that occurred when Dr. Margaret Chan, the current head of the WHO was Hong Kong's Director of Health. One in five of the local poultry tested were positive for the disease, and Chan made the very unpopular and expensive decision to cull all 1.2 million chickens and three hundred thousand geese and ducks as well to halt the spread of the virus. This was a very difficult and impressive public health decision that was successful in stopping further cases in humans. It was quite rightfully, imo, considered heroic. Chan offered her head on

a platter if it did not succeed in stopping the disease. Luckily, it worked.