A resident of Mexico has become the first person globally to die from the A(H5N2) subtype of bird flu.
The 59-year-old died on 24 April after developing a fever, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, nausea and general discomfort, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
It was the first laboratory-confirmed human case of infection with the A(H5N2) subtype of bird flu reported globally and the first H5 virus infection in a person reported in Mexico.
The victim had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals, the WHO said.
Cases of the A(H5N2) subtype of avian influenza have been reported in poultry in Mexico.
The person had multiple underlying medical conditions and had been bedridden for three weeks, for other reasons, prior to the onset of acute symptoms, the world health agency said.
How dangerous is A(H5N2) bird flu?
Based on available information, the WHO assesses the current risk to the general population posed by A(H5N2) as low.
No further cases have been reported by an investigation testing people who had come into contact with the victim for types of influenza, as well as for COVID-19, it said.
Cases of bird flu have now been identified in mammals such as seals, raccoons, bears and cattle, primarily due to contact with infected birds.
Scientists are on alert for changes in the virus that could signal it is adapting to spread more easily among humans.
Has bird flu reached Australia?
While there are no confirmed cases of A(H5N2) in Australia, other strains of bird flu have been detected.
Australia’s first human case of A(H5N1) infection was reported in May, but there were no signs of transmission.
Four Victorian farms have been bit by bird flu, with all chickens at those sites set to be culled.
The latest case of the highly pathogenic H7N3 strain was at a farm located within the Golden Plains Shire in Victoria’s southwest, Agriculture Victoria confirmed on Wednesday.
Authorities have placed the farm into quarantine and all poultry will be disposed of and the sites cleaned and cleared of infection.
The farm is situated within a restricted area that covers two other poultry farms in Meredith and Lethbridge after both also tested positive for the same strain in the past few weeks.
Bird keepers located in restricted and controlled areas in Meredith and Terang have been ordered to keep their birds enclosed in cages and sheds as much as is practical.
The US has placed restrictions on imports of Victorian poultry and poultry by-products until further notice.
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