Cold and Flu

First Human Case Of Bird Flu Subtype Is Fatal, WHO Says

At a Glance

The World Health Organization says a fatal case of a subtype of avian flu has been confirmed in Mexico.
The first documented case, a 59-year-old man, died.
It's the first human case of H5N2 reported globally and the first bird flu case of any kind in Mexico.

Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.

The World Health Organization has confirmed the first human death from avian influenza A(H5N2) virus, a subtype of bird flu.

The case in Mexico was also the first lab-confirmed human case of H5N2 anywhere in the world, and the first human bird flu case of any kind in Mexico.

“Based on available information, WHO assesses the current risk to the general population posed by this virus as low,” a statement from the agency said.

(MORE: Respiratory Symptoms In Cow-To-Human Bird Flu Case)

The infection was reported May 2 in a 59-year-old patient at a Mexico City Hospital. The person had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals, but did have multiple underlying medical conditions.

"This case does not change the current WHO recommendations on public health measures and surveillance of influenza," the agency's statement said.

An outbreak of H5N2 was detected in March in a backyard poultry farm in the Mexican state of Michoacán, which borders the State of Mexico where the patient lived, according to WHO.

A recent outbreak of another type of bird flu, H5N1 traced to dairy cows in the U.S., has led to infections in at least three farm workers, the most recent of which was the first to present with respiratory symptoms.

MORE AT WEATHER.COM:

- Bird Flu Testing Inadequate, Experts Warn

- Growing Fear Of Bird Flu Spreading To Humans

- How To Safely Eat Eggs As Bird Flu Spread