The death of the first human case of H5N2 bird flu was multifactorial and not attributable to the virus, according to a new WHO statement.
- A man infected with the H5N2 virus died in Mexico last April.
- The WHO assures that this death is multifactorial and not attributable to the H5N2 virus.
- A case of H5N1 bird flu has been detected in Australia for the first time.
Last Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that a first human case of H5N2 bird flu had been confirmed in a laboratory. This 59-year-old patient who lived in Mexico died on April 24 in Mexico City. But this Friday, June 7, the organization specified that this death is “multifactorial”, and not attributable to the virus.
H5N2 virus: “it is a multifactorial death”
At a press briefing in Geneva, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier explained: “This is a multifactorial death and not a death attributable to the H5N2 virus. The patient arrived at the hospital after weeks of multifactorial medical history.”
The Mexican Ministry of Health said the deceased was a 59-year-old man. He was suffering “chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes” And “long-standing systemic hypertension”The patient had been bedridden for three weeks when he began to suffer from fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea and general malaise.
After his death, several tests were carried out and revealed the presence of the H5N2 virus in his body. “At this point, because it is a multifactorial disease, it is a multifactorial death.”added Christian Lindmeier during the conference.
WHO is continuing its investigation into this first human contamination with H5N2. It is seeking to determine whether the man was “infected by a person during a visit or by previous contact with animals”his spokesperson said. In addition, no other cases of avian flu linked to this virus have been detected among the patient’s contacts, at the hospital or at his place of residence.
First case of H5N1 flu in Australia
Meanwhile, the WHO reported that Australia had its first human case of H5N1 bird flu. It was a two-and-a-half-year-old girl. She is in intensive care, but out of danger, according to authorities. “The exhibition [au virus] probably took place in India” where the virus has, in fact, been detected in birds recently, the organization adds.
The H5N1 flu virus is also raging in the USA, mainly affecting cows and birds. However, three human cases have been recorded in the country.
