The death of the first human case of H5N2 avian flu is “multifactorial”the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday June 7, specifying that analyzes were continuing to determine the origin of the infection.
The WHO announced on Wednesday that a first human case of H5N2, confirmed in the laboratory, had been reported in Mexico, specifying that he had died on April 24. According to the Mexican Ministry of Health, this 59-year-old man was suffering “chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes” And, “long-term systemic hypertension”. He had been bedridden for three weeks before the onset of acute symptoms, which manifested on April 17 with fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea and general malaise, said the WHO, which reported the case. was notified on May 23. He was hospitalized in the Mexican capital on April 24 and died during the day.
“This is a multifactorial death and not a death attributable to the H5N2 virus”declared a WHO spokesperson, Christian Lindmeier, during a press briefing Friday in Geneva. “The patient arrived at the hospital after weeks of multifactorial medical history”he said.
His body was then subjected to routine tests for influenza and other viruses, which detected H5N2. “At this stage, as it is a multifactorial disease, it is a multifactorial death”, insisted Mr. Lindmeier. No other cases have been detected among his contacts, in hospital or at his place of residence.
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“No risk for the population”
“The H5N2 virus infection is under investigation to determine whether it was infected by a person during a visit or by previous contact with animals”specified the WHO spokesperson.
This death comes after the discovery in March of cases of H5N2 in farmed poultry in the state of Michoacan, which borders the State of Mexico where the victim lived. Other cases of H5N2 were then identified the same month in poultry in Texcoco, in the State of Mexico, and in April in Temascalapa, in the same state. “There is no risk for the population”, according to the Mexican Ministry of Health. The WHO has judged this risk ” weak “.
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On Thursday, Dr. Aspen Hammond of the WHO’s Global Influenza Program said it is too early to comment on the virus, saying we should wait until we know its characteristics. “and the provision of complete genetic sequence data”.
Human case infected with H5N1 strain detected in Australia for the first time
Furthermore, the WHO announced “the first human case” confirmed in Australia of H5N1, which concerns a two and a half year old child hospitalized in intensive care but out of danger.
The H5N1 strain, linked to the current epidemic among cows in the United States, and for which three human cases have been reported, is different from the H5N2 strain.
” The exhibition [au virus] probably took place in India » where the virus has been detected in birds in the past, WHO said. The child traveled to Kolkata from February 12 to 29, before returning to Australia on February 1er March where she was hospitalized the next day in the state of Victoria. The WHO adds that no member of his family has developed symptoms.
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The WHO called on Wednesday to strengthen the global detection network for H5N1, which has shown that it can infect a large number of animal species. But no human-to-human infections have been recorded and the risk of contracting the virus for humans who eat infected animals is “negligible”Markus Lipp, food security expert from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), told the press.
