The first human case of H9N2 influenza virus (bird flu) has been confirmed in Europe, with a human infection recorded on March 25, 2026. The patient, a boy with underlying health conditions, was infected outside of Europe before travelling to the Lombardy region of northern Italy. He has been placed in hospital isolation in the San Gerardo hospital in Monza. This is not the first time H92 has caused mild illness in humans, as it tends to be through direct contact with poultry in heavily contaminated environments. However, as a precaution, Italian public health authorities have traced contacts of the patient to confirm there was no onward transmission.