A new strain of bird flu has jumped to humans in an event that has “potential for major impact on public health,” the World Health Organization has warned.
Authorities say a 59-year-old man in Mexico died after battling a seven-day illness that left him with fever, difficulty breathing, diarrhea and nausea.
Tests showed they were infected with H5N2, marking the first time this strain has been detected in humans. It differs from the H5N1 strain behind the outbreak in cattle that has sickened three people in the United States this year.
The patient had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals, and it was unclear how he became infected.
But officials said the risk to the public is “low,” and said the patient had underlying health conditions. It was unclear whether the disease had been transmitted to other people.
However, they warned in an alert published today that “a “Human infection caused by a new virus (the avian influenza virus) is an event that has the potential to have a high impact on public health.”
The patient, from Mexico City, felt unwell on April 17, but waited a week before seeking help at the hospital.
However, he died the same day he was admitted due to “complications of his condition.”
PCR tests conducted on April 24 revealed that he had been infected with the flu virus, and subsequent tests confirmed that the patient had H5N2.
Authorities have tested 17 people who were in close contact with the patient at the hospital, including one person who reported having a runny nose. They all tested negative.
Twelve people who lived near the patient’s home in Mexico City, including seven with symptoms of illness, were also tested for bird flu, although all tested negative.
Authorities are now conducting blood tests to detect antibodies to the virus, which would reveal whether anyone had a previous infection.
The source of the infection has not yet been determined, although several flocks of poultry, which can carry H5N2, recently tested positive for the virus.
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