First human case of H5N2 avian flu kills a man in Mexico
First human case of H5N2 avian flu kills a man in Mexico
World Health Organization (WHO) reports that a man died in Mexico from a strain of avian flu called H5N2, which has never been discovered in a human. The WHO stated on Wednesday that the infection’s route of transmission is still unknown, noting that (H5N2) viruses have been found in Mexican poultry.
Scientists are currently keeping a close eye out for any alterations in the virus that could suggest it is modifying itself to spread more readily among people. Bird flu comes in a lot of different forms. The strain of H5N2 that has afflicted some dairy cow herds in the United States is not the same. Three farmworkers have contracted mild cases of the H5N1 virus.
A chronology of bird flu outbreaks from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that other bird flu variants have killed people all across the world in prior years, including 18 people in China during an H5N6 outbreak in 2021.
The WHO was notified by Mexican health officials that a 59-year-old man who passed away in a Mexico City hospital was infected with the virus even though he had no known contact with chickens or other animals.
Family members reported to the WHO release that the patient had been bedridden for unrelated reasons prior to experiencing fever, dyspnea, and diarrhea on April 17. He had underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney failure, according to a statement from Mexico’s public health authority.
On April 24, the man went to the hospital; he passed away that same day. Weeks of additional lab testing revealed that the flu strain initially detected was H5N2.
According to the WHO, there is little risk to the populace in Mexico, and despite evaluating those who had contact with the deceased at home and in the hospital, no new cases of the disease have been found in humans thus far. Three H5N2 outbreaks in poultry occurred in March in neighboring parts of Mexico, but investigators haven’t been able to link them. In addition, Mexican authorities are keeping an eye on birds close to a small lake outside of Mexico City.
People who are in close proximity to flocks of poultry run the risk of contracting the disease whenever bird flu spreads among them. Experts are concerned as more animal species catch bird flu viruses, and health authorities are keenly monitoring any evidence that the viruses are mutating to pass easily from person to person.
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