A 59-year-old resident of the State of Mexico has died from chicken flu within the first confirmed case of a human contaminated with the H5N2 variant, the World Well being Group (WHO) introduced on Wednesday. The affected person handed away on April 24 after experiencing fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea, and nausea. Regardless of having no historical past of publicity to poultry or different animals, the person had a number of underlying medical situations, together with power kidney illness and kind 2 diabetes, in response to a press release from Mexico’s well being ministry.
The WHO reported that the affected person, who had been bedridden for 3 weeks previous to creating acute signs, was hospitalized in Mexico Metropolis and succumbed to the sickness the identical day.This case marks the primary laboratory-confirmed human an infection with an influenza A(H5N2) virus globally and the primary avian H5 virus reported in an individual in Mexico.
“Though the supply of publicity to the virus on this case is presently unknown, A(H5N2) viruses have been reported in poultry in Mexico,” the WHO mentioned. Mexican well being authorities carried out laboratory exams and reported the confirmed case to the UN well being physique on Could 23.
In March, H5N2 circumstances had been detected in a yard poultry farm in Michoacan state, with different outbreaks recognized within the State of Mexico. Nonetheless, establishing a hyperlink between the human case and the poultry infections has been difficult. The WHO estimates the danger to the overall inhabitants as “low.”
The Mexican well being ministry emphasised that there isn’t any threat of contagion for the inhabitants, noting that each one samples from recognized contacts of the affected person have examined unfavorable. Authorities are carefully monitoring farms close to the sufferer’s dwelling and have arrange a everlasting monitoring system to detect different circumstances in wildlife within the space.
Andrew Pekosz, an influenza knowledgeable at Johns Hopkins College, highlighted the complexity of the state of affairs, saying, “How this particular person bought contaminated is a giant query mark that a minimum of this preliminary report does not actually deal with completely.”
The WHO and Mexican well being officers proceed to research the supply of the an infection. Chicken flu has been recognized to contaminate varied mammals, together with seals, raccoons, bears, and cattle, primarily resulting from contact with contaminated birds. Scientists stay vigilant for modifications within the virus that might sign its adaptation to unfold extra simply amongst people.
In the US, a unique variant of chicken flu, H5N1, has been spreading amongst dairy cow herds, with a small variety of human circumstances reported. Nonetheless, none of those circumstances concerned human-to-human transmission.
Australia additionally reported its first human case of A(H5N1) an infection in Could, with no indicators of transmission, whereas noting extra poultry circumstances of H7 chicken flu on farms in Victoria state.
Pekosz added, “Since 1997, H5 viruses have constantly proven a propensity to contaminate mammals greater than some other avian influenza virus. So it continues to ring that warning bell that we must be very vigilant about monitoring for these infections, as a result of each spillover is a chance for that virus to attempt to accumulate these mutations that make it higher infect people.”
(With inputs from companies)
The WHO reported that the affected person, who had been bedridden for 3 weeks previous to creating acute signs, was hospitalized in Mexico Metropolis and succumbed to the sickness the identical day.This case marks the primary laboratory-confirmed human an infection with an influenza A(H5N2) virus globally and the primary avian H5 virus reported in an individual in Mexico.
“Though the supply of publicity to the virus on this case is presently unknown, A(H5N2) viruses have been reported in poultry in Mexico,” the WHO mentioned. Mexican well being authorities carried out laboratory exams and reported the confirmed case to the UN well being physique on Could 23.
In March, H5N2 circumstances had been detected in a yard poultry farm in Michoacan state, with different outbreaks recognized within the State of Mexico. Nonetheless, establishing a hyperlink between the human case and the poultry infections has been difficult. The WHO estimates the danger to the overall inhabitants as “low.”
The Mexican well being ministry emphasised that there isn’t any threat of contagion for the inhabitants, noting that each one samples from recognized contacts of the affected person have examined unfavorable. Authorities are carefully monitoring farms close to the sufferer’s dwelling and have arrange a everlasting monitoring system to detect different circumstances in wildlife within the space.
Andrew Pekosz, an influenza knowledgeable at Johns Hopkins College, highlighted the complexity of the state of affairs, saying, “How this particular person bought contaminated is a giant query mark that a minimum of this preliminary report does not actually deal with completely.”
The WHO and Mexican well being officers proceed to research the supply of the an infection. Chicken flu has been recognized to contaminate varied mammals, together with seals, raccoons, bears, and cattle, primarily resulting from contact with contaminated birds. Scientists stay vigilant for modifications within the virus that might sign its adaptation to unfold extra simply amongst people.
In the US, a unique variant of chicken flu, H5N1, has been spreading amongst dairy cow herds, with a small variety of human circumstances reported. Nonetheless, none of those circumstances concerned human-to-human transmission.
Australia additionally reported its first human case of A(H5N1) an infection in Could, with no indicators of transmission, whereas noting extra poultry circumstances of H7 chicken flu on farms in Victoria state.
Pekosz added, “Since 1997, H5 viruses have constantly proven a propensity to contaminate mammals greater than some other avian influenza virus. So it continues to ring that warning bell that we must be very vigilant about monitoring for these infections, as a result of each spillover is a chance for that virus to attempt to accumulate these mutations that make it higher infect people.”
(With inputs from companies)
