Tedros Adhanom, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed this Wednesday the first human death from bird flu in the world. It was detected in a Mexico laboratory at the end of May, although the source of exposure in this particular case, whose victim died on April 24, is unknown.
“This is the first laboratory-confirmed human case of influenza A virus infection (H5N2) reported worldwide and the first infection by avian virus in a person reported in Mexico. The case had multiple underlying conditions and the investigation by Mexican health authorities continues to determine the probable source of exposure to the virus,” the WHO said in a statement.
The victim is a 59 year old man that had developed fever, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, nausea and general malaise. On April 24 he was hospitalized in the capital of the North American country, Mexico City, and died. A month later, a Mexican laboratory confirmed that the death had taken place due to this virus.
Bird flu outbreaks on several farms
At the moment, it is unknown source of exposure to the virus In this case, no more human cases of this infection associated with this case have been detected. The WHO, which has recalled that sporadic human cases are not unexpected, has indicated that this virus poses a “low current risk” for the general population, although it has stated that, if necessary, it will review the risk assessment.
Between March and April, they were detected several outbreaks of this virus in poultry farms both in the state of Michoacán and in Mexico. However, it has not been possible to establish whether the human case is related to these outbreaks in poultry.
Avian flu “breaks the classic molds”
The scientist at the Hunting Resources Research Institute, Úrsula Höfle, has warned that, after knowing the bird flu infection in a man exposed to dairy cattle in Texas (United States), the type of virus currently circulating “has broken all the classic molds who knew each other” and it is a disease “very unpredictable”.
Human infections by viruses avian flu A, including the A(H5N1) viruses, are rare but occur sporadically throughout the world. It’s not common human infection by A (H5N1) acquired through contact with an infected mammal, although human infections with other influenza subtypes have been acquired through mammals.
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