The World Health Organization said the case is unrelated to a different outbreak of bird flu, H5N1, that has been detected in the United States.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that a person with prior health conditions who contracted the H5N2 variant of avian influenza, also known as bird flu, died in April.
The individual, a 59-year-old resident of Mexico, first developed a fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea, and a general feeling of discomfort on April 17, the public health agency said on June 5.
The man was subsequently hospitalized at the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases in Mexico City on April 24 and died later that day.
Testing conducted on the day he was hospitalized indicated the individual had a “non-subtypeable influenza A virus” and further testing led to a positive sample for influenza A H5N2, the U.N. agency said.
The individual had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals at the time of his hospitalization, the WHO noted.
However, the man had prior health complications, including multiple underlying medical conditions, and relatives told hospital staff that he had been bedridden for three weeks before his admission for “other reasons.”
Mexico’s health ministry said in a statement that the person had chronic kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes, and systemic hypertension.
Representatives of the WHO didn’t respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for further comment.
What Is Avian Influenza?
Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects birds. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the disease has also been found in other animals, such as pigs and dogs in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, as well as domestic cats in Germany.
It spreads easily among birds through nasal and eye secretions, as well as through manure, and it can prove deadly in domestic poultry.
While it’s unclear how the Mexico resident became infected, multiple cases of avian influenza have been reported in the country in recent months, including one outbreak detected in a backyard poultry farm in the state of Michoacán in March.
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