India, April 3 -- A two-year-old girl from Andhra Pradesh has died after contracting H5N1 bird flu, marking what appears to be the first human infection and fatality from the disease in the country since at least 2021.

The case comes amid growing international concern about H5N1 and its potential for wider transmission. While human cases remain exceedingly rare, the virus's high mortality rate - approximately 50% in documented cases- has kept the disease on the radar of scientists around the world.

State health officials said the child, who resided in Baliah Nagar in Narasaopet town, Palnadu district, died on March 16 while receiving treatment at AIIMS-Mangalagiri. The Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) confirmed on March 2...