The World Well being Group confirmed on Wednesday the first-ever deadly case of a subtype of hen flu in Mexico.
It’s the first laboratory-confirmed human case of the H5N2 pressure of hen flu, or avian influenza, reported globally and the first-ever reported case in Mexico.
This pressure is totally different than the hen flu pressure that’s presently circulating in livestock in america and has contaminated three dairy employees within the U.S.
The Mexico affected person was a 59-year-old resident with no historical past of publicity to poultry or different animals, in response to the WHO.
On April 17, the affected person developed fever, nausea, diarrhea, shortness of breath and common malaise. They have been hospitalized on April 24 on the Nationwide Institute of Respiratory Illnesses in Mexico Metropolis and died the identical day.
The affected person’s kinfolk stated the particular person had underlying circumstances they usually had been bedridden for 3 weeks for different causes previous to contracting hen flu, the WHO stated. On Wednesday night time, Mexico’s Well being Ministry stated the affected person had “a historical past of power kidney illness, kind 2 diabetes (and) long-term systemic arterial hypertension.”
Take a look at outcomes finally revealed the affected person was contaminated with hen flu subtype H5N2, which has by no means been documented in people earlier than.
No additional circumstances have been documented throughout well being officers’ investigation, in response to the WHO. Of the 17 individuals the affected person got here into contact with on the hospital, one particular person reported a runny nostril in late April. Samples taken from the contacts examined unfavourable for flu and COVID-19.
Twelve further individuals the affected person got here into contact with — seven with signs and 5 with out — have been recognized close to the affected person’s residence. Nasal samples, throat samples and blood samples have been taken from the contacts. The nostril and throat samples examined unfavourable for COVID-19 and outcomes from the blood samples are ongoing.
Mexico’s Ministry of Well being stated in an announcement Wednesday that “all samples from recognized contacts have been unfavourable” for H5N2.
The WHO stated whereas a human an infection with hen flu “has the potential for top public well being impression,” the worldwide well being company stated the present danger to the overall inhabitants is low.
Mexico’s Ministry of Well being echoed the WHO in its assertion.
“The Ministry of Well being informs that there isn’t any danger of contagion for the inhabitants with the detection of the primary human case of low pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N2) in Mexico, since there isn’t any recognized supply of an infection,” the assertion learn.
Within the U.S., an outbreak of the H5N1 pressure has been discovered to sicken hundreds of thousands of birds in addition to older dairy cows. Thus far, three farmworkers have been sickened within the U.S., one in Texas and two in Michigan.
All three had delicate signs and have recovered or are recovering. There isn’t a proof of human-to-human transmission and the chance to most people is low, in response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).
“Whereas each H5N2 and H5N1 belong to the identical household of influenza A viruses, H5N1 has been identified to contaminate people for years, whereas that is the first-ever reported case of H5N2 in people,” stated Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation workplace at Boston Kids’s Hospital and an ABC Information contributor. “The excellent news is that neither H5N2 nor H5N1 have demonstrated human-to-human transmission to this point. Nonetheless, this primary case is a wake-up name. It reminds us that influenza viruses can evolve, and continued surveillance of those viruses in each animals and people is essential.”
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