Mexico Confirms the First Human Case of Death From Bird Flu
Laboratory tests on avian flu. Photo: X / @JamesPower91
June 6, 2024 Hour: 3:35 pm
The Mexican citizen who died from the H5N2 variant had no known contact with poultry.
On Wednesday, a Mexican laboratory confirmed world’s first-ever human case and death from H5N2, a strain of avian influenza virus that had only been detected in animals until now.
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The first human death from H5N2 is an isolated case that should not cause “extreme concern” but does require increased monitoring of farms to minimize contact between infected animals and people, explained Doctor Luis Buzon, spokesperson for the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC).
Avian influenza is an infectious disease of birds, caused by type A influenza virus strains. These birds can infect humans, though it is not common, with fewer than 1,000 cases recorded worldwide. Human-to-human transmission does not exist so far.
If it were to occur, “a new pandemic could arise because these viruses are 100 percent new to humans,” Buzon stated, explaining that there is no immediate scenario for human-to-human transmission because “that would require a series of actions that are highly costly for the virus. Obviously, the more cases there are and the more contact there is between infected humans, the more easily that could happen.”
Currently, the virus is only spreading among birds and other animals like seals or cows, which become hosts. Since 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) has only recorded 889 cases of avian influenza in humans and 463 deaths caused by the H5N1 strain, which has been known for more than 20 years. The last three human deaths from H5N1 occurred in the United States in April.
The most common way the virus is introduced into a territory is through migratory wild birds. The WHO acknowledged that the spread of the H5N1 variant to mammals and humans is concerning and called for close monitoring of this development.
The main risk factor for human infection is exposure to infected poultry, live or dead, or to contaminated environments, such as live bird markets. Other risk factors include slaughtering, plucking, and handling carcasses of infected poultry, and preparing birds for consumption, particularly in households.
The 59-year-old man who died from the H5N2 had no known contact with poultry and presented symptoms such as fever, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, nausea, and general malaise. Some of these symptoms are similar to those of human influenza, making it difficult to identify the H5N2-related influenza.
Source: EFE
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