A Bird Flu Virus Has Killed Its First Human

A particular character of bird flu has now killed its first man . On Wednesday , Mexican wellness officials and the World Health Organizationannounceda support causa of H5N2 avian influenza in a 59 - twelvemonth - old gentleman , who afterwards died from complications of the infection . The incident is the first science lab - confirmed case and death tied to H5N2 , but WHO officials say that the endangerment to the world-wide world from this virus is low .

According to the WHO , the man first develop symptoms of the infection on April 17 , which included fever , shortness of breath , diarrhea , nausea , and ecumenical discomfort . On April 24 , after seek aesculapian tending , the military man was hospitalize at the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases in Mexico City , but he succumbed to his illness and died that same day .

Dr. discover an unknown subtype of influenza A virus within the man ’s respiratory sample distribution , which prompted genetic sequencing . The early solution suggest that this virus was a pains of H5N2 , which was subsequently confirmed by further examination . On May 24 , local health officials notified the WHO of their discovery .

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The example does n’t look to be tie to theongoing irruption of boo fluin U.S. dairy farm cattle , which are because of strains of H5N1 avian grippe . But there have been recent outbreaks of both humbled and high-pitched morbific H5N2 bird flu try among domestic fowl farm in Mexico ( pathogenic bear on to its ability to cause illness and death in birds ) . At least three such outbreaks of H5N2 occurred near or in the body politic of Mexico , where the man resided , in March 2024 . At this point , however , it ’s not know whether this slip is tie to any of these clustering , since the piece had no reported history of exposure to fowl or other animal . This is the first confirmed human typeface and death ever linked to H5N2 .

snort flu is worrying for several reasons . For one , humans already have low resistance to these strains relative to the seasonal flu strains that propagate every year . Given enough sorry luck , the reverence is that some strain will develop the right mixture of mutations that would allow the virus to spread easily between humans and induce material sum of grave illness at the same time — the beginnings of a potential pandemic .

As of yet , neither avian H5N1 nor H5N2 appear certain to make this jump to people . wellness officials identified and monitored 17 recent middleman of the 59 - class - old man , include masses at the hospital where he perish . While some people did experience symptoms of a likely respiratory unwellness , none of the physical contact have tested positive for an acute contagion of H5N2 , though antibody test that can detect a retiring infection are still pending . It ’s also possible that the man ’s preexisting health may have played a role in the severity of his illness , since the human being had several rudimentary conditions and had been bedrid for three weeks prior to his symptoms , according to consultation with his congenator .

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For now , the WHO ’s appraisal of the threat stick by H5N2 and other bird flu strains remains the same : a serious vexation that has to be supervise closely and contained as much as potential , but not an impending danger .

“ uncommitted epidemiological and virological grounds suggest that A(H5 ) viruses from premature events have not acquired the power to sustain transmission between mankind , thus the current likelihood of sustained human - to - human cattle ranch is low , ” the WHOwrotein its report of the H5N2 pillowcase .

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