Washington: A 59-year-old man in Mexico died from a strain of bird flu called H5N2, which has never before been identified in a human, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Wednesday. The source of the man’s infection remains unclear, although H5N2 has been detected in poultry in Mexico.
H5N2 differs from H5N1, the strain that has affected multiple dairy cow herds in the US, resulting in mild infections in three farmworkers. Various bird flu strains have previously caused human fatalities worldwide, including 18 deaths in China from H5N6 during a 2021 outbreak, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mexican health officials informed the WHO that the deceased man, who had no known exposure to poultry or other animals, passed away in a Mexico City hospital. The man, bedridden due to unrelated health issues, developed a fever, shortness of breath and diarrhoea on April 17. He sought hospital care on April 24 and died the same day. Initial tests indicated an unidentified flu type, which was later confirmed as H5N2 after several weeks of lab testing.
The WHO stated that the risk to the public in Mexico is low, with no further human cases detected among those who had contact with the deceased. Three poultry outbreaks of H5N2 were reported in nearby regions of Mexico in March, but no direct link to the man’s infection has been established. Authorities are also monitoring birds near a shallow lake on the outskirts of Mexico City.
Whenever bird flu circulates in poultry, there is a risk of human infection for those in close contact with the flocks. Health authorities are vigilant for signs of the virus evolving to spread more easily among humans, particularly as more mammal species are being affected by bird flu viruses.
WHO Confirms First-Ever Human Death from New Bird Flu Strain in Mexico world-news World News | Latest International Global World News | Todays Breaking News Headlines
