The World Health Organization has announced the death of a man in Mexico, dating back to April 2024, from what appears to be the first ever human case of bird flu H5N2. Scientists now wonder whether the virus could become stronger and more adaptable to human genes. Here's what you should know.
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A man dies of H5N2 bird flu
On Wednesday 5 June 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement announcing the first ever case of human bird flu H5N2:
Although the source of exposure to the virus in this case is currently unknown, A(H5N2) viruses have been reported in poultry in Mexico.
Scientists are now actively researching whether the virus has become transmittable to humans, as that could have potentially disastrous consequences. However, the UN agency has expressed that the virus does not pose an immediate threat in Mexico at the moment, although experts are keeping an eye on its evolution.
According to WHO, the 59-year-old man from Mexico experienced fever, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, nausea and general discomfort, which led him to be hospitalised before he eventually died on 24th April. The Mexican ministry for health has said there have been no evidence of person-to-person transmission, and those who had been in contact with the man before he died tested negative so far.
The virus could evolve through time
The situation began in March 2024, when the government of Mexico reported an outbreak of the H5N2 strain of bird flu in an isolated farm, but it was said to be harmless to humans. However, after the man's death in April, the government changed its stance and reported the case to the World Health Organization.
Other people have died from bird flu, but never from this particular strand. Andrew Pekosz, an influenza expert at Johns Hopkins University explained that since 1997, these viruses are constantly evolving:
So it continues to ring that warning bell that we should be very vigilant about monitoring for these infections, because every spillover is an opportunity for that virus to try to accumulate those mutations that make it better infect humans.
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Sources used:
The Guardian: Mexico man dies from first human case of bird flu strain H5N2
The World Health Organization: Avian Influenza A (H5N2) - Mexico
