The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on June 5 the death of a human due to avian influenza A(H5N2) infectiondetected by a laboratory in Mexico.
The WHO said the 59-year-old resident of the State of Mexico had died on April 24 after experiencing fever, respiratory distress, diarrhea, nausea and general malaise.
This is the first human case confirmed in a laboratory of an infection by subtype A(H5N2) of avian flu reported worldwide.
The victim had no history of exposure to poultry or other animalssaid the WHO.
In Mexico Cases of avian influenza subtype A(H5N2) have been reported in poultry.
The person had multiple prior medical conditions such as chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure and had been bedridden for three weeks for other reasons before the onset of acute symptoms, the WHO said.
When he presented symptoms, on April 24 he was hospitalized at the Ismael Cosío Villegas National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) in Mexico City, but he died the same day after his condition worsened.
The Ministry of Health in Mexico confirmed the case and added that, at the time, the patient’s sample tested positive for influenza type A and the type of influenza he was suffering from was not identified in the first instance.
No further cases have been reported during the epidemiological investigation that consisted of investigating contacts at the hospital where the 59-year-old man died.
“Based on the information available, the WHO considers that the risk that this virus currently represents to the general population is low,” the agency added in a statement.
How do humans get bird flu?
On April 29, the WHO warned about a variant of avian influenza that affects humans, especially the pathogenic virus A (H5N1), which since 2021 has generated 28 cases detected in humans.
Whenever avian flu viruses circulate in poultry, there is a risk of infection and also in small conglomerates human cases due to exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments.
Therefore, Sporadic human cases are not unexpected. Human cases of infection with other H5 subtypes, such as viruses A(H5N1), A(H5N6) and A(H5N8).
The infections in livestock are the same subtype of bird flu that has been infecting wild birds and flocks of poultry throughout the world, also killing various species of mammals who probably contracted the virus by consuming sick or dead birds.
In March 2024, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N2) was detected. on a backyard poultry farm in the state of Michoacán.
In March 2024, an outbreak of low-pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N2) was identified. in poultry in Texcoco, State of Mexico, and a second outbreak of A(H5N2) in April in the municipality of Temascalapa in the same state.
Until now it has not been possible to establish Whether this human case is related to recent outbreaks in poultry
Is it safe to consume foods of animal origin?
The WHO considers the public health risk low, which is why the consumption of well-cooked chicken meat or eggs does not represent a danger to human health. However, the following daily recommendations are made:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or 70 percent alcohol-based solutions.
- Use face masks in case of respiratory symptoms and ventilate spaces.
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
- Wash hands before handling cooked foods and after handling raw foods.
- Properly cook chicken meat and egg (greater than 70°C).
- Do not use the same utensils to handle raw and cooked foods.
- Avoid touching or approaching wild animals.
- Do not handle or collect dead animals.
- Do not touch birds or poultry that are sick or dead from unknown causes. (With information from Reuters).
