Table: Human cases of H5N1 bird flu
Last updated: September 13, 2024
On this page you’ll find detailed information about each human case of H5N1 bird flu since 2021, when a new variant (clade 2.3.4.4b) emerged in birds and spread around the world. This page is updated regularly and as soon as possible when a human case is reported.
The current variant of concern, 2.3.4.4b, has affected a growing number of mammals since it was first discovered in late 2020. The first human case was reported in the UK in January 2022. Older variants are also capable of causing human cases, including clade 2.3.2.1c, which is endemic in Cambodia.
Key figures
| Cases | Deaths | CFR | |
| New variant | 26 | 1 | 4% |
| All variants | 926 | 470 | 51% |
It’s currently not possible to predict the death rate for clade 2.3.4.4b. Most of the cases to date were picked up during random surveillance of poultry and cattle workers, which skews the data towards asymptomatic and mild cases. Only 4 cases have occurred in the community, causing severe illness in all cases and resulting in 1 death.
Help us continue: Support our work by making a contribution on PayPal, BuyMeACoffee, Patreon or Ko-Fi.
Clade 2.3.4.4b (new variant)
If you’re using a mobile device, swipe right to see all columns.
| Reported | Location | Patient | Symptoms | Outcome | Poultry/ cattle link | Source |
| 2024-09 | USA (MO) | Adult | Mild | Recovered | No | Link |
| 2024-07 | USA (CO) | N/A | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-07 | USA (CO) | N/A | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-07 | USA (CO) | N/A | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-07 | USA (CO) | N/A | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-07 | USA (CO) | N/A | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-07 | USA (CO) | N/A | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-07 | USA (CO) | N/A | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-07 | USA (CO) | N/A | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-07 | USA (CO) | N/A | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-07 | USA (CO) | Adult/M | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-05 | USA (MI) | Adult | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-05 | USA (MI) | Adult | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-04 | USA (TX) | Adult | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2023-07 | UK | N/A | None | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2023-07 | UK | N/A | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2023-05 | UK | N/A | None | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2023-05 | UK | N/A | None | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2023-03 | Chile | 53/M | Severe | Recovered | No | Link |
| 2023-03 | China | 52/F | Severe | Recovered | Yes | |
| 2023-01 | Ecuador | 9/F | Severe | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2022-10 | Spain | 19/M | None | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2022-10 | Spain | 27/M | None | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2022-09 | China | 38/F | Severe | Died | Yes | |
| 2022-04 | USA (CO) | N/A | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2022-01 | UK | 80s | None | Recovered | Yes | Link |
Other variants or unknown (2021-present)
If you’re using a mobile device, swipe right to see all columns.
| Reported | Clade | Location | Patient | Symptoms | Outcome | Poultry/ cattle link | Source |
| 2024-08 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 15/F | Severe | Died | Yes | Link |
| 2024-08 | Unknown | Cambodia | 16/F | Severe | Unknown | Yes | Link |
| 2024-08 | Unknown | Cambodia | 4/M | Severe | Unknown | Yes | Link |
| 2024-07 | Unknown | Cambodia | 5/F | Mild | Unknown | Yes | Link |
| 2024-07 | Unknown | Cambodia | 3/M | Severe | Unknown | Yes | Link |
| 2024-05 | 2.3.2.1a | Australia | 2/F | Severe | Recovered | Unknown | Link |
| 2024-05 | Unknown | China | 33/F | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-03 | 2.3.2.1c | Vietnam | 21/M | Severe | Died | Yes | Link |
| 2024-02 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 17/F | Severe | Unknown | Yes | Link |
| 2024-02 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 16/M | None | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-02 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 10/M | Severe | Died | Yes | Link |
| 2024-01 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 69/M | Severe | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2024-01 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 3/M | Severe | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2023-11 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 4/F | Severe | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2023-11 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 21/F | Severe | Died | Yes | Link |
| 2023-10 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 2/F | Severe | Died | Yes | Link |
| 2023-10 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 50/M | Severe | Died | Yes | Link |
| 2023-02 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 49/M | Mild | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2023-02 | 2.3.2.1c | Cambodia | 11/F | Severe | Died | Yes | Link |
| 2022-10 | Unknown | Vietnam | 4-5/F | Severe | Recovered | Yes | Link |
| 2021-07 | 2.3.2.1a | India | 11/M | Severe | Died | Yes | Link |
Prior to 2021, a total of 880 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported across the world, causing 462 deaths. Most of those cases occurred between 2004 and 2011.
Definitions
- Reported: The month in which a case was publicly reported. The actual infection or the onset of symptoms may have occurred weeks earlier. Some countries (especially China) take anywhere between days or weeks to publicly report a case.
Symptoms/Outcome
- None: The patient did not report any symptoms (asymptomatic).
- Mild: The patient experienced symptoms which did not require hospitalization or they were hospitalized but only for observation.
- Severe: More serious symptoms requiring hospitalization, especially ICU treatment.
- Recovered: The patient survived the active infection of H5N1 bird flu. Some patients have long-term or permanent health issues caused by the illness.
- Died: The patient died while undergoing treatment for H5N1.
- Unknown: No reliable information is available about the outcome of the case, which often happens when the patient is still hospitalized at the time of the announcement and no further updates are released.
Other data notes
- Because we can only display one source in the table, the cited link may not include all available or up-to-date information.
- Some cases may be assigned to a specific clade before laboratory studies are complete. For example, a person testing positive for H5 bird flu may be listed as H5N1 if they worked on a farm where animals were infected with H5N1.
