In mid-June, Bangladesh health authorities reported to the World Health Organization one laboratory-confirmed human case of avian influenza A(H5) infection in Bangladesh in a child from Sylhet Division.
The patient developed respiratory symptoms on 17 May 2026, received outpatient healthcare on 20 May. A clinical sample was collected that day and was received by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) on 4 June as part of routine surveillance. The sample tested positive for influenza A(H5) virus by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) on 11 June.
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The patient is now in good health and reported no travel history and no history of exposure to poultry. However, poultry deaths were reported in the area surrounding the patient’s residence. The outbreak investigation team identified and followed close and possible contacts. Samples from some of the close contacts as well as animal and environmental samples were collected for testing for influenza. All contacts remained asymptomatic and all samples tested negative for influenza. This is the third laboratory-confirmed human case of avian influenza A(H5) reported in Bangladesh in 2026, and the 15th human case of avian influenza A(H5) reported to WHO from Bangladesh since 2008, including two fatal cases, one reported in 2013 and one in 2026.