A person in Mexico died after contracting a pressure of chicken flu that hasn’t been confirmed in people earlier than, the World Well being Group mentioned Wednesday.
The virus was detected in a 59-year-old affected person who had been hospitalized in Mexico Metropolis. The person died one week after creating a fever, shortness of breath and diarrhea. It’s the primary lab-confirmed case of an individual contracting a type of chicken flu often known as H5N2, the WHO mentioned in an announcement, elevating questions on a pressure that has largely been underneath the radar. The present chicken flu outbreak in US dairy cows is being pushed by a unique pressure — H5N1.
The affected person, who lived in central Mexico, had no historical past of publicity to poultry or different animals. The Mexican authorities doesn’t know the place he was uncovered to the virus, although the pressure of avian influenza has been reported in poultry within the Mexican state the place the individual lived.
The present threat posed by the H5N2 virus to most people is low, in response to the WHO, which mentioned no additional instances had been reported after an investigation.
The H5N2-infected man had a number of underlying well being circumstances, together with continual kidney illness, kind 2 diabetes and longstanding hypertension, in response to Mexico’s well being ministry Wednesday. He had been bedridden for 3 weeks previous to the onset of acute signs in mid-April, the WHO added, citing the affected person’s kin. Although hospitalized on April 24, the person died the identical day.
Mexican authorities reported the deadly case to the WHO on Might 23 after confirming the presence of the virus in a pattern from the deceased man.
Whereas the person in Central Mexico marks the primary laboratory-confirmed case of H5N2 in people, researchers have recognized folks with antibodies that would sign prior infections.
Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist with the College of Illinois Chicago College of Public Well being, mentioned that H5N2 poses a low threat to public well being as a result of it hasn’t proven a capability to be transmitted between people. To that finish, it’s regarding that the affected person isn’t recognized to have had publicity to animals that are the most definitely supply of illness, she added.
Wallace mentioned extra surveillance is required to fill within the gaps of data.
“It’s so loopy that we don’t know the place that is coming from,” she mentioned.
The Mexican authorities has begun monitoring wild birds for H5N2 within the wetlands of Tlahuac in Mexico Metropolis, in addition to farms, backyards and different areas close to the place the person resided. Up to now, no contaminated birds have been recognized, the well being ministry mentioned in Wednesday’s assertion.
The US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
Within the US, the H5N1 outbreak in cattle continues to broaden its geographic attain. On Wednesday, Iowa introduced it had recognized contaminated cows, bringing the whole variety of states which have detected chicken flu in herds to 10. Up to now this 12 months, three US-based farmworkers have examined constructive for chicken flu — one in Texas and two in Michigan. They’d signs of eye irritation and one had a cough. There have been no deadly human instances related to the US H5N1 outbreak.
