A man in Mexico has died after contracting the first research laboratory - sustain human infection with H5N2 bird flu . It ’s unclear how the gentleman’s gentleman was exposed to the computer virus , but this type of avian grippe has previously been regain in poultry in the land . The risk to the general world is still deliberate to be low .
TheWorld Health Organization(WHO ) has corroborate a paper of a calamitous human caseful of H5N2 influenza , register by the Mexico International Health Regulations ( IHR ) National Focal Point ( NFP ) on May 23 , 2024 . The 59 - year - old man was a resident of the State of Mexico and had been treat in infirmary in Mexico City after developing symptoms including fever , shortness of breather , and diarrhea .
He had been under the weather previously and had multiple implicit in conditions , including continuing kidney disease and eccentric 2 diabetes , but had sought aesculapian intervention for the new symptom on April 24 .
PCR testing confirmed that he was suffering from influenza type A , but further examination by Mexican health authorisation was required to sustain the subtype as H5N2 .
Influenza subtypes are categorize agree to two surface proteins that pelt the outside of each virus particle . There ’s hemagglutinin , responsible for for the “ H ” bit , and neuraminidase , which gives the “ N ” number . The swine flu pandemic of 2009 was triggered by anH1N1 virus . Other uncommon subtypes pass around in squealer or hiss populations andvery occasionallymake the saltation to humanity .
We ’ve heard a lot recently about outbreaks ofH5N1 shuttle fluacross the United States and around the domain , withwild birds , dairy cows , true cat , andalpacasbeing just some of the species affected . There have beenthree reported human casesof H5N1 at once linked to outbreak on dairy farms , but all three patients have recovered .
H5N2 – the virus that infected the man in Mexico – is also an avian flu virus and has the same hemagglutinin type as H5N1 , but a unlike neuraminidase protein . These two proteins help the computer virus invade cells and aretargetedby the immune system as it races to build an antibody response .
The WHO reports that no further cases have been detected so far . Seventeen of the man ’s cheeseparing contacts were monitored in infirmary , and all tested negative for the influenza and COVID-19 between May 27 and 28 . Additionally , 12 of the patient role ’s neighbour have been tested , seven of whom have prove some symptoms . As of May 28 , however , all 12 have tested negative for influenza A , influenza B , and COVID .
There have been three outbreaks of H5N2 strains on poultry farms in Mexico this year . “ Thus far , it has not been possible to ground if this human type is refer to the recent poultry irruption , ” the WHO explained .
The Mexican government also say in astatementthat there was no risk to the wider universe .
While the H5N2 virus is not the same as the H5N1 highly pathogenic influenza that ’s currently hitting headlines , influenza expert Andrew Pekosz from Johns Hopkins University toldReutersthat the sheath underscores the potential of H5 viruses to jump into other mammals .
“ So it continues to telephone that warning bell that we should be very vigilant about monitoring for these infection , because everyspilloveris an opportunity for that virus to seek to accumulate those variation that make it better taint humans , ” Pekosz said .
