FILE - The logo of the World Health Organization is seen at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, June 11, 2019. A death in Mexico was caused by a strain of bird flu that has never before been found in a human, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File)
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Wednesday that a man's demise in Mexico resulted from H5N2 avian influenza, a strain previously unrecorded in humans. While the source of infection remains unclear, H5N2 has been observed in Mexican poultry.
Distinct from the H5N1 strain affecting U.S. dairy cattle, H5N2 led to mild infections in three farmworkers. Notably, other avian flu strains, such as H5N6, have caused fatalities worldwide, including 18 deaths in China in 2021.
Mexican health authorities informed the WHO of a 59-year-old man's death at a Mexico City hospital due to the virus, despite no known exposure to birds or animals. The patient, bedridden for unrelated issues, developed fever, breathlessness, and diarrhea on April 17, succumbing on April 24. Initial tests indicated an unidentified flu strain, later identified as H5N2 through subsequent lab analyses.
The WHO assessed the risk to Mexicans as low, with no further cases identified despite testing individuals in contact with the deceased. Although three H5N2 outbreaks occurred in nearby Mexican areas in March, authorities have not established a link. Mexican officials are also monitoring bird populations near a lake on the outskirts of Mexico City. When avian flu spreads among birds, individuals in close contact with flocks face infection risks.
Health agencies are vigilant for signs of viral mutations enabling human-to-human transmission, especially concerning as more mammal species contract avian flu.
