Mexico: The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that a man in Mexico who had previously experienced health issues passed away after becoming infected with the A(H5N2) strain of bird flu, however, they emphasized that there was still little risk to the general population from the virus.
The 59-year-old passed away in Mexico City in April, the global health agency said in a statement on Wednesday, following the onset of symptoms such as fever, dyspnea, diarrhea, and nausea.
Before the commencement of his acute symptoms, the man had been bedridden for three weeks for various reasons, according to his relatives.
The man’s underlying medical conditions included high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic renal failure, according to a statement from Mexico’s public health authority.
On April 24, he went to the hospital and passed away that same day. According to the WHO, preliminary testing revealed an unknown strain of flu, which several weeks of laboratory work later revealed to be A(H5N2).
The WHO said that there is no recognized source of viral exposure, despite reports of A(H5N2) infections in Mexican poultry. These include the man’s residence, a backyard chicken farm in Michoacan state, which borders Mexico State, though investigators haven’t been able to link the two.
Despite evaluating those who had contact with the deceased at home and in the hospital, the WHO reported that no new cases of human infection had been found.
“WHO assesses the current risk posed by this virus to the general population as low based on available information,” the statement stated.
Furthermore, “no risk of contagion for the population” was declared by Mexico’s Ministry of Health, which added that “all samples from identified contacts have been negative.”
The ministry stated that, authorities have set up a permanent monitoring system to find any other cases in the local animals and are keeping an eye on farms close to the victim’s residence.
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