The World Health Organization claimed an individual’s death in Mexico was due to the “first laboratory-confirmed human case of infection with an influenza A(H5N2) virus.”

“On 23 May 2024, the Mexico International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) reported to PAHO/WHO a confirmed fatal case of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N2) virus detected in a resident of the State of Mexico who was hospitalized in Mexico City. This is the first laboratory-confirmed human case of infection with an influenza A(H5N2) virus reported globally and the first avian H5 virus infection in a person reported in Mexico,” the WHO stated.

“Although the source of exposure to the virus in this case is currently unknown, A(H5N2) viruses have been reported in poultry in Mexico. According to the IHR (2005), a human infection caused by a novel influenza A virus subtype is an event that has the potential for high public health impact and must be notified to the WHO. Based on available information, WHO assesses the current risk to the general population posed by this virus as low,” it added.

The patient, a 59-year-old resident of the State of Mexico, had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals.

“The case had multiple underlying medical conditions. The case’s relatives reported that the case had already been bedridden for three weeks, for other reasons, prior to the onset of acute symptoms,” the WHO stated.

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Per Reuters:

In March, Mexico’s government reported an outbreak of A(H5N2) in an isolated family unit in the country’s western Michoacan state, but said at the time this did not represent a risk to distant commercial farms, nor to human health.

After the April death, Mexican authorities confirmed the presence of the virus and reported the case to the WHO, the agency said.

Based on available information, WHO assesses the current risk to the general population posed by this virus as low.

The United States has reported three human cases of bird flu in recent months.

Third Reported American Bird Flu Case, CDC Issues Statement

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