The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday the death of a person who died from contracting the H5N2 subtype of bird flu.
The WHO said that the person, 59 years old, resided in Mexico and died on April 24 after presenting with fever, respiratory distress, diarrhea, nausea and general malaise.
This is the first laboratory-confirmed human case of an infection with subtype A(H5N2) of bird flu in the world and the first infection with the H5 virus to be recorded in a person in Mexico.
Although the source of the virus is unknown so far, the WHO detailed in a report published on its official website that the presence of the A(H5N2) virus has been found in poultry in the country. The International Health Regulations highlight that a human infection caused by a new subtype of influenza A virus is an event with the potential to impact public health.
The WHO report details that the patient had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals. His family reported that the man had multiple underlying medical conditions and that he had been bedridden for three weeks for other reasons.
It was on April 17 when the man developed fever, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, nausea and general malaise. On April 24, he sought medical attention, was hospitalized at the Ismael Cosio Villegas National Institute of Respiratory Diseases and died that same day due to complications from his condition.
No further cases were reported during the epidemiological investigation. Of the 17 contacts identified and followed up at the hospital where the case died.
With information from Bloomberg.
