Man in Mexico dies in first known human case of H5N2 bird flu variant

The 59-year-old had no known exposure to poultry or other animals, the World Health Organization said. His symptoms included nausea, fever and shortness of breath.

A 59-year-old male resident of Mexico died after being infected with a bird flu subtype never before confirmed to have spread to humans, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

The man, who suffered from other underlying health conditions, had no known exposure to poultry or other animals before being formally diagnosed by a laboratory with the H5N2 subtype of avian flu. The case marks the first time a human has been confirmed to be infected with this subtype, and the first time an avian H5 virus was confirmed in a person in Mexico.

“Due to the constantly evolving nature of influenza viruses, WHO continues to stress the importance of global surveillance,” WHO said in a statement. “This case does not change the current WHO recommendations on public health measures and surveillance of influenza,” it added, rating current risks to the general population as “low.”

The man had been bedridden for three weeks for other reasons, before the onset of acute symptoms, according to WHO. His symptoms first appeared around April 17 and included fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea and general malaise.

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He sought medical attention on April 24 and was hospitalized at the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases in Mexico City. He died later that day. (continued)

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