A person contaminated with H5N2 chicken flu, the primary confirmed human an infection with the pressure, died from a number of elements, the WHO mentioned Friday, including that investigations have been persevering with.
The World Health Organization introduced Wednesday that the primary laboratory-confirmed human case of an infection with H5N2 avian influenza virus had been reported from Mexico.
Mexico’s well being ministry mentioned the 59-year-old man had “a history of chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes (and) long-standing systemic arterial hypertension”.
He had been bedridden for 3 weeks earlier than the onset of acute signs, creating fever, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, nausea and normal malaise on April 17.
The man was taken to hospital in Mexico City on April 24 and died later that day.
“The death is a multi-factorial death, not a death attributable to H5N2,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier advised journalists in Geneva on Friday.
“The patient came to the hospital after weeks of multi-factorial background of multi other diseases,” he mentioned.
His physique was subsequently routinely examined for flu and different viruses, and H5N2 was detected, Lindmeier mentioned.
Seventeen contacts of the case within the hospital have been recognized. All examined detrimental for influenza.
In the person’s place of residence, 12 contacts within the weeks beforehand have been recognized. All likewise examined detrimental.
“Investigations are ongoing. Serology is ongoing. That means the blood testing of contacts to see if there was any possible earlier infection,” Lindmeier mentioned.
“The infection of H5N2 is being investigated to see whether he was infected by somebody visiting or by any contact with any animals before.”
The WHO mentioned Wednesday that the supply of publicity to the virus was unknown, although H5N2 viruses have been reported in poultry in Mexico.
Based on out there info, the United Nations’ well being company assesses the present danger to the final inhabitants posed by the virus as low.
LOW FOOD RISK
Markus Lipp, senior meals security officer on the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, mentioned the chance of contracting avian influenza although consuming poultry was “negligibly low”.
“In all the hundred years of avian influenza… there has not been any demonstrated food-borne transmission,” he advised the media briefing through video-link from the FAO’s headquarters in Rome.
“Animal handlers, of course, who are in extremely close contact with animals may get an infection but it’s an occupational risk. It’s not a food-borne transmission,” he mentioned.
“Humans do not have avian influenza receptors in their gastro-intestinal tract, contrary to certain animal species, as far as we know. So there is a very slim likelihood, just from that perspective.”
Of all of the meals security dangers when consuming poultry, “probably the lowest risk is connected to avian influenza”, Lipp mentioned.
H5N1 SPREAD
A unique variant of chicken flu, H5N1, has been spreading for weeks amongst dairy cow herds within the United States, with a small variety of instances reported amongst people.
But none of them are human-to-human infections, with the illness leaping as an alternative from cattle to individuals, authorities have mentioned.
H5N1 first emerged in 1996 however since 2020, the variety of outbreaks in birds has grown exponentially, alongside a rise within the variety of contaminated mammals.
The pressure has led to the deaths of tens of tens of millions of poultry, with wild birds and land and marine mammals additionally contaminated.
The human instances recorded in Europe and the United States for the reason that virus surged have largely been delicate.
Source: www.anews.com.tr