WHO Confirms First Human Death from H5N2 Bird Flu in Mexico - The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the first human fatality from the H5N2 bird flu variant in Mexico. The case involves a 59-year-old resident from the State of Mexico, who passed away on April 24 after developing fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea, and nausea. The WHO's statement highlighted that the individual had no known exposure to poultry or other animals and suffered from multiple underlying medical conditions.

Details of the Case
The patient was hospitalized in Mexico City and tragically succumbed to the illness on the same day. This incident marks the first globally reported human infection with the influenza A(H5N2) virus confirmed by laboratory tests. Mexican health authorities notified the UN health body of the case on May 23 following extensive laboratory investigations.

Source of Infection and Risk Assessment
The source of the virus remains unknown. While H5N2 cases have been reported in poultry in Mexico, establishing a direct link between these cases and the human infection has been challenging. The WHO has assessed the risk to the general population as low.

In March, H5N2 was detected in a backyard poultry farm in Michoacan state, with further outbreaks reported in the State of Mexico. However, the connection between these poultry infections and the human case remains unclear.

Health Authorities' Response
The Mexican health ministry provided additional details, stating that the deceased was a 59-year-old man with chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, and long-standing systemic arterial hypertension. The ministry reassured the public that there is no risk of contagion, as all samples from identified contacts of the patient have tested negative.

Authorities are actively monitoring farms near the victim's residence and have established a permanent surveillance system to detect any further cases in the local wildlife.

A different bird flu variant, H5N1, has recently been spreading among dairy cow herds in the United States, with a few human cases reported. However, these infections have been transmitted from cattle to people, with no evidence of human-to-human transmission.

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