Health officials in Lombardy have identified the first human case of avian influenza A(H9N2) recorded in Europe. The patient is a roughly 30-year-old man with preexisting health issues who returned from West Africa and was admitted to hospital a few hours after landing at Malpensa airport. Italian authorities say the infection is of low pathogenicity and was acquired abroad.

How the virus spreads and what it usually does

The Ministry of Health notes that H9N2 infections generally result from direct contact with infected poultry or with contaminated environments and materials. Human cases so far have tended to be mild, and there is no evidence that this strain spreads from person to person.

What authorities did next

  • Immediate checks and contact tracing: Local health teams located and tested people who had contact with the patient.
  • Coordination: The national Ministry of Health coordinated with Lombardy regional authorities, the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, and the national reference laboratory network.
  • International reporting: Competent international organizations were informed and updates are being shared.
  • Current status: No additional infections have been confirmed and the situation is under continuous monitoring.

Context from experts

Epidemiologist Gianni Rezza pointed out that this is the first human avian influenza case ever diagnosed in Italy, but he emphasized that it appears to be an isolated, imported event involving a less aggressive strain than some others in circulation. That means low immediate alarm, though surveillance continues.

For comparison, the H5N1 avian influenza strain has produced more severe human disease in past outbreaks. According to World Health Organization data cited by experts, between January 1, 2003 and January 22, 2026 there were 481 reported human H5N1 infections in six countries of the Western Pacific region, with 319 deaths, a reported case fatality rate of about 66.3 percent. By contrast, H9N2 is much less aggressive. Rezza noted that roughly 170 human H9N2 cases have been recorded worldwide to date.

Bottom line

The Lombardy case is an imported, low-pathogenicity H9N2 infection in a person who recently traveled from West Africa. Public health teams performed the expected tracing and testing, no secondary cases have been found, and authorities say the risk to the general public is currently low. Monitoring and laboratory investigations are ongoing.