Table 1. Characteristics of 65 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N6) virus, China* .
| Characteristic | No. case-patients |
|---|---|
| Median age (IQR) |
51 (36–57) |
| Age group, y | |
| 0–17 | 8 (12.3) |
| 18–59 | 45 (69.2) |
|
>60 |
12 (18.5) |
| Sex | |
| M | 33 (50.8) |
| F |
32 (49.2) |
| Residence | |
| Urban | 34 (52.3) |
| Rural |
31 (47.7) |
| Fatalities (CFR) |
36 (55.4) |
| Poultry exposure | |
| Any exposure to poultry | 61 (93.8) |
| Visited live poultry market | 38 (62.3) |
| Exposure to backyard poultry | 28 (45.9) |
| Exposure to sick or dead poultry | 23 (37.7) |
| Processed poultry | 28 (45.9) |
| A(H5) positive in related bird or
avian-related environment |
55 (90.2) |
| Comorbidities† |
31 (47.7) |
| Disease severity | |
| Mild | 4 (6.2) |
| Severe‡ |
61 (93.8) |
| Treatment | |
| Oseltamivir | 39 (60.0) |
| Mechanical ventilation | 41 (63.1) |
| ECMO | 14 (21.5) |
| Admission to ICU |
51 (78.5) |
| Complications§ | |
| Yes | 56 (86.2) |
| No | 7 (10.8) |
| Unknown | 2 (3.1) |
*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. CFR, case-fatality rate; ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; ICU, intensive care unit; IQR, interquartile range. †Only comorbidities associated with a high risk for influenza complications (32,33) were counted here, including chronic respiratory disease, asthma, chronic cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, immunosuppressed status, and neuromuscular disorders. ‡Severe symptoms were defined according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Plan for Influenza issued by the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China (http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2020-11/05/5557639/files/74899af960ff4f228e280d08b60d2af1.pdf). §Complications included secondary bacterial pneumonia, bronchitis, exacerbations of underlying respiratory conditions, laryngotracheobronchitis; and other less common complications may occur (33).