The first documented human infection with the H5N2 strain occurred in Mexico, when a man died from bird flu. The WHO announced on Thursday that it was awaiting the complete genetic sequence data.
Aspen Hammond, a technical officer at the UN health agency’s global influenza program, stated that no other infections connected to the case have been identified as of yet.
“The characterisation of this virus is still under way and genetic sequence data should be available soon,” Hammond told a webinar.
“H5N2 viruses have been detected for a long time in birds.”
The WHO claimed in a statement that the 59-year-old had “multiple underlying medical conditions” and “no history of exposure to poultry or other animals” before passing away from fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea, and nausea.
According to the statement, the State of Mexico citizen who lived on the outskirts of the city was admitted to the hospital on April 24 and passed on the same day in Mexico City.
This was the “first laboratory-confirmed human case of infection with an influenza A(H5N2) virus reported globally” , according to the World Health Organization.
